


The Dolls: Smitten

by DanyT



Series: The Dolls [1]
Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-09
Updated: 2012-08-10
Packaged: 2017-10-29 07:00:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 63,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/317013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DanyT/pseuds/DanyT
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nino works in a boutique as a window dresser with some very lifelike mannequins</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. smitten

"Honestly, sometimes I think I spend more time with these dolls than I do with people..." Nino murmured to himself as he placed the finishing touches on the mannequin's outfit--tucking the button down shirt, zipping up its fly, and placing its hands in such a way that it looks as if it's thrown its jacket over its shoulder.

It's barely been 3 months since Nino started on his part time job as an assistant window dresser in one of Tokyo's newest boutiques. It paid quite well relative to the work it demanded, and for once, Nino was relieved to be free of the heavy manual labor that his previous jobs required. From a glance, one could tell that the boutique wasn't meant for those merely looking for a casual date outfit-- unless, said date included dining in a five star hotel located in some remote island, detectable only by nautical maps, and known only to a handpicked few. The boutique boasted of the latest European couture and carried big name designers whose merchandise went no lower than several hundred Euros. Its service, of course, spared no expense to please its patrons. Customers, often rich foreigners, or daughters of prominent and wealthy households, dined on choice pastries served with their choice of beverage, while they browsed, or sampled the merchandise. There have also been instances where the boutique booked some models to host an exclusive mini-fashion show for clients who wanted to know how the clothes would fit. Most of its staff were either foreign, or were able to speak at least three languages including English and French. They were all refined, genteel creatures familiar with the ways of the wealthy, able to make small talk with their clients and armed with an instinct to know what each one wanted.

Nino considered himself truly lucky to be hired by such a kind employer who did not lay him off because work was slow, or because he didn't have anything to do most of the time. A part of him also wondered why he had been hired when he clearly did not meet the requirements-- he wasn't wealthy, nor was he any good at mingling with high society, and he only spoke one language. While it was true that window dressers didn't need to interact with customers, Nino couldn't help but feel a bit insecure and out of place with his background... "Don't worry," his rather eccentric boss reassured him, "We're all here for a purpose. You'll find yours out, soon enough," and with that, she traipsed towards the mannequins and crooned sweet nothings at the one she called "Jun," twirling her fingers around the doll's perm. So, with a shrug, and several knowing smiles from his coworkers, Nino started work as an assistant window dresser at 'Smitten,' Tokyo's newest fashion hotspot.

The first few weeks of his job had been quite an adventure. He had seen and heard things that he thought were only possible in fairy tales, or the doramas he had watched on TV. He had never seen so many rich people in his life, and it was quite an event whenever a customer entered the shop (partly because the instances were so few and far between.) In contrast to his university life which was littered with deadlines and mountains of books to be read, life in the boutique was generally slow. Window displays could only be changed so often, and there was only so much that an assistant window dresser could do. During his free time, Nino would help other staff with their tasks, and at times, they would gladly help him with his papers and his assignments. It was true that several pieces bought by the occasional customer would keep business afloat for several months, but a bit of guilt lingered in Nino's mind for being paid the same wage, although he did so little.

Despite the seemingly great deal he struck, Nino felt a bit unsettled. Several things puzzled him. First was the boutique's location. For all its grandeur, the boutique was located in a remote, and rather unremarkable place; not in the glitzier areas of the city that the upper class frequented. Another was that, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't recall the exact date when the boutique had opened. He was pretty sure that there must have been some construction going on at some time, since the place was within walking distance from where he lived; yet, when he asked his neighbors about the shop's opening, they would merely scratch their heads, and tell him that they don't remember, but that, "it must've been some months ago." Another thing that niggled at his mind were the mannequins. It looked and felt too lifelike to be dolls. Although part of him insisted that it was the result of fine craftsmanship, there have been times when he was convinced that the dolls were living, breathing things that alternately giggled or whispered about him behind his back. There was also the tiny detail, that despite being a store that mostly sold women's clothing, all the mannequins used for the window display were male.

And so, after doing a final sweep of the dolls, and making sure that all the props were in place, Nino switched off the lights, bade "Jun," "Ohno," and "Aiba" goodnight, and headed home.

Little did he know that several sets of eyes followed him as he left the shop...

***


	2. The Dolls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How Nino met the dolls...

It's going to rain. Aiba thought glumly to himself as his glass eyes looked on at the shadows cast by the massive storm clouds gathering overhead. The lemon-yellow brightness of the sun that blanketed the little park in its warmth had been replaced a cold, oppressive gray. Little tornadoes played with dried, dead leaves, and the few stray candy wrappers that littered the sidewalk, while people hurriedly packed their belongings and sought shelter at the nearby shops. It was going to be another dull and boring afternoon of watching the heavy rain fall and drench everything on its path. Aiba sighed, mourning the loss of his entertainment for the day.

Do you think they'll ever come? Jun asked, his jaded thoughts echoing throughout the small space. He listlessly watched as a small cat crouched under a park bench in a futile attempt to keep itself from getting wet. Big, heavy drops fell from the sky in a steady drumbeat, building up its tempo and pelting against the roof and the walls of the small boutique. Lightning flashed, and a loud thunder reverberated through the thin, Plexiglas window of their small display case. Outside, the wind had already knocked down several of the potted plants flanking the store's facade. More debris flew about as the wind gathered strength to add to the coming storm. Ohno, Jun, and Aiba each suppressed a shudder at the thought of something smashing through their window at any moment.

You know, sometimes I wish this was all a dream and I'd wake up, and everything would be as it was... Ohno responded, his voice calm despite the chaos building up outside. Another trash bin gave up its contents to the wind, and the cat that was crouching underneath the park bench, not so long ago, had scampered off to find a more suitable shelter.

Have hope, Jun. It's all we have. I know that they're still alive somewhere... Aiba's voice was steady and full of hope, despite the despair and the deep sadness he endured with the other two. He had lost count of the days as it bled into months and years while they waited for the curse of their frozen bodies to be broken.

As the three continued to watch, helpless and immobile while the storm wreaked havoc across the park, a melodic, high-pitched voice rang out from behind them...

"This is bad, I didn't think that the storm would be this strong..."

The door behind the display stall opened to let a tall, slender woman in. Yuki, the owner of 'Smitten,' had fair, porcelain skin, set with a pair of piercing gray eyes. Inky-black hair that fell slightly past her shoulders, framed a symmetrical, heart-shaped face that currently had its thin, pinkish lips set on a pout.

"I'm sorry boys, but I'm afraid we'll have to put you inside until the storm let’s up. We can't risk anything hurting you... Perhaps you'd like to try watching television?" Yuki added after a moment's pause, "I hear it's a great form of entertainment too." Yuki chirped, twirling an elegant finger through her hair. She called her staff to seat Aiba, Jun, and Ohno on one of the long, soft couches of the store's lobby while she went on to set up the television in front of the couch. The store was closed for the day, and a black cloth was hung over the display window where the mannequins once stood.

As Yuki was fumbling with the remote control, desperately trying (and failing) to make 'the damned box' work, a loud knock came rapping at the store's heavy wooden doors. Grateful for the temporary distraction, Yuki answered the door, leaving it slightly ajar to peek at the surprise guest.

"I'm sorry, I know you're closed but this is the nearest shop I could find. My house is too far from here and I'm really starting to get cold..." A young man drenched, from head to toe, shivering from the cold, pleaded. His arms were wrapped protectively around several books that were kept under his waterproof jacket and his lips trembled as he spoke.

Yuki let the young man inside, where he immediately bowed in gratitude.

"I promise to go home as soon as the rain stops." He managed to stutter; His wet clothes dripped continuously, soaking the red carpet that covered the floors of the small boutique.

"No need for that." Yuki replied, holding in her surprise, as her eyes twinkled with recognition, "More importantly, you're shaking, and you need to get warm. Are you hungry? Anyway, come inside, I have plenty of spare clothes. I just hope I have one your size" Yuki chattered on as she led him to the lobby where the three dolls sat. The young man paused uncertainly in front of the dolls and gave a slight bow to the three strange men sitting in front of a television set that was unplugged.

"You may wait here." Yuki said, pointing to the couch where the three dolls sat "Ohno is the one to your right, Jun is on the other end of the couch, and Aiba is the one sitting between them."

"Um... okay," the young man replied, still looking at the three men who sat unmoving and unresponsive "... they're mannequins, right? I really thought they were humans; they look so real"

"Mannequins? Oh, Mannequins! Right..." Yuki replied. "Uh, anyway, do you know how to use that thing over there?" Yuki said, pointing to the television set, "I can't get it to work. You can watch something while you wait... oh, and sit beside Ohno; he'd like that very much!" Yuki twittered on, as she motioned for the young man to sit beside the spiky-haired mannequin.

"...By the way, what's your name?" Yuki said, although she already seemed to know.

"Ninomiya Kazunari. My friends call me Nino. Thank you very much for all of your kindness, and I'm sorry for getting your furniture wet. I promise to repay you as soon as I can." Nino stammered on as he removed his jacket and plugged the television set, pushing some buttons to switch it on to a news channel.

"Nonsense! Your health's more important than that furniture," Yuki stared wide-eyed as the television stirred into life, "but we can arrange something if you want to repay me..." Yuki winked at Nino, her mood obviously lighter, as she proceeded to get Nino's clothes while she ordered her servants to serve Nino some warm food and some pastries.

************  
Nino-chan! Ohno's heart leapt, as Nino sat beside him

Nino! Nino's here! Aiba exclaimed, although his barely contained excitement couldn't be seen, as his body remained motionless.

About damn time... Jun replied, the happiness evident in his voice despite the sarcastic comment.

Nino, thinking that he heard his name, looked around to see if the strange young woman had returned-- only to find that he was alone in the lobby, watching TV with the three, lifelike mannequins as he waited for his clothes and the warm food that was promised.

This is bad, he thought. I must be getting sick...


	3. Trickles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nino spends more time getting to know the mannequins and their weird owner

Part 3: Trickles:

The rain pounded on unrelentingly as Nino sat beside the three mannequins, shivering, while he continued to watch television. The news channel that Nino had been watching for the past ten minutes, showed footage of flooded streets and a couple of stranded passengers unable to go home due to the lack of transport. In some areas of the city, power had been disrupted and phone lines went dead. The government assured the public that they were doing their best to restore energy, and to provide emergency help to those in need. Plans to restore and clean up the city were to take place within the next few days, or until things get restored to its state prior to the storm.

As the news anchor rambled on, Nino wondered about the state of his small, one-story apartment and promptly grew exhausted. Between his stomach's rumblings, and his body's increasing demand for warmth, Nino's thoughts strayed to the unwashed clothes waiting to be laundered, the dirty dishes piled up in the kitchen sink, and what was by now, a very wet bed that lay under a leaky roof he was never quite able to repair. Nino also suspected that he was coming down with the flu, and was worried that he would not have the time, or strength to read the books (which were saved, thanks to his jacket) that he borrowed for his term paper. To make things worse, Nino was convinced that his fever was making him delirious. As the minutes ticked by, he kept hearing voices calling his name and was actually starting to believe that the voices came from the three mannequins sitting next to him.

"Here you go, Nino..." Yuki's voice broke through Nino's garbled musings as she handed him a towel and several items of clothing.

"T-thank you" Nino replied through chattering teeth as he received the garments with a trembling hand.

"It took me a while to find clothes your size, but I managed to find some...Gosh, are you okay?" You look a little pale..." A worried look crossed Yuki's features as she placed the back of her palm against Nino's forehead, feeling for signs of fever.

"You're burning up! You better get changed" Yuki fussed over Nino like a mother hen as she grabbed his hand and led him to one of the shop's dressing rooms. "You can go back to watching TV once you're done. Just leave your wet clothes there, ok? The food's just about cooked." Yuki barked her orders to an unresisting Nino as she closed the door to allow him some privacy while he changed. Yuki then went to sit in front of Ohno in the lobby while waiting for Nino and for supper to be served...

"Well, you three," Yuki smiled softly, suppressing the tears of joy that threatened to spill from her eyes, "We've finally found him! It'll only be a matter of time 'till we find Sho, right?" Yuki rambled on, clapping her hands in excitement. "It's a shame though, because Nino's very sick right now and he can't seem to remember anything." Yuki pouted, "But I'll help him get better Ohno, I promise" she said as she placed a reassuring hand on Ohno's lap.

"...You know, it would help me a lot if I could actually hear what you're thinking. At least I know that I'm not talking to myself like an idiot even if other people think so" Yuki stuck her tongue out at the dolls and tugged lightly at Ohno's ears, tilting Ohno's head slightly and positioning one of Ohno's hands beside his ear. "There, you look cute that way!" Yuki giggled.

Nino emerged from the dressing room looking pretty much like a green Eskimo. Nino wore green flannel pajamas with small teddy bear prints, and wore a thick, cream-colored woolen sweater over it while his feet were warmed by a pair of matching green socks. Despite the warmth that the layers of clothes provided, Nino still shivered slightly as he made his way towards the lobby. Snippets of Yuki's lively monologue drifted to his ear and Nino looked around to check for another guest, or to see if Yuki was engaged in a phone conversation. As Nino reached the lobby, however, he was surprised to find a giggling Yuki placing Ohno's hand beside its ear in a pose resembling the maneki neko souvenirs sold in so many shops around Japan.

"Thank you very much, Miss...um..." Nino said as he approached Yuki, embarrassed that he hadn't even asked for her name

"Yuki. You may call me Yuki," Yuki replied as she extended her hands to Nino.

"Thank you, miss Yuki. I left my clothes in the dressing room just as you told me, but if you want, I could hang them out in the bathroom so that they won't drip all over the floor."

"Don't think much of it. I'll have Marguerite and the others take care of your wet clothes," Yuki replied "Anyway, it looks like the storm won't let up until tomorrow morning, so you're free to stay here for the night. Actually, I insist that you do! I can't have you walking home sick now, can I?" Yuki grinned with a slightly mischievous look in her eyes. Nino was about to protest and give Yuki a litany of reasons about why he shouldn't stay, when the smell of freshly cooked chicken soup and porridge wafted through the air. As Yuki's servants brought warm food to the lobby, Nino immediately forgot all about protesting, and instead grew embarrassed as his stomach announced its hunger.

"Eat up!" Yuki said as she giggled at the noise coming from Nino's stomach. Two sets of dishes were set on the lobby's small table, and Yuki took her place in one of the armchairs perpendicular to the sofa where the dolls sat. The television buzzed softly in the background as the programming shifted to lighter news and showbiz gossip.

"I really can't thank you enough." Nino spoke, as warm food was scooped to his plate.

"Well then, let's talk about that, " Yuki replied.

"Of course. How can I repay you?"

"Hmm... our shop needs more people. I was thinking that maybe you could help out, even if just for a few hours everyday"

"Oh, of course, that would be great! I've been looking for a job for some time now" Nino exclaimed, suddenly grateful for this turn of fortune. "Umm... well, what do I do? This shop seems to be a really classy place, and I don't really know much about fashion. But I could do some heavy lifting, and I think I can man the cash registers..." Nino rambled on, noticeably excited.

"Don't be silly! I won't make you lift heavy things," Yuki replied in her sing-song voice "I was thinking more of a window dresser, or maybe an assistant window dresser"

"Oh... well, I don't really know how I can help, I'm not much good at designing, or decorating things..." Nino replied, his bubble of hope suddenly popped.

"That's not a problem, you could help Pierre, he's the chief window dresser. There's not much heavy work involved, and for the most part, you only have to follow his instructions. He decides on the designs for the display, and every now and then he may send you out on an errand to buy the things that he needs." Yuki hurriedly made up a vacant post, knowing well enough that their shop didn't need extra people.

The two worked out Nino's terms of employment over supper, the television temporarily forgotten, while the dolls were having a small riot of their own...

"Waaah! This is great! I didn't know there were people that tiny! How did they do that?" Aiba exclaimed, amazed at the small box that projected moving images onto its screen.

"Aaah. Maybe they shrank them?" Ohno replied, similarly in awe, but somewhat distracted by the conversation happening right beside him.

"Hmm... I don't think there are tiny people inside that box, Aiba," Jun pondered the machine in front of him, "I think they work like scrying pools..."

"Oh, I see! Maybe we could ask Nino once he breaks the spell..." Aiba replied, currently fascinated by the dancing cows that advertised a brand of chocolate milk.

Once the advertisements were done airing, the news resumed. The arts and culture segment was hosted by a young man who looked to be in his early 20s. The news anchor had round eyes and full lips that lay a few inches above a small chin. The strong angles of his squarish face were softened by the hair that lay in a rumpled, flyaway mess below his ears. Long bangs swept to the side of his face hid a very prominent forehead, and as he spoke, a deep, calming voice spilled out of his lips. Aiba, Jun and Ohno were unable to hide their astonishment as the camera focused on the reporter.

Sho! all three of the mannequins exclaimed.

"Sho?" Nino wondered aloud, staring at the dolls and worried that his delirium had gotten worse.

"Sho! Where?" Yuki's eyes were frantic as she looked to Nino for answers.

"Oh, nothing...I think I'm hearing things," Nino scratched his head "Well, if it helps, the name of that reporter is Sho..." Nino said, pointing to the television.

Yuki's eyes widened in surprise as she looked at the television screen. "You know Sho! That's great, could you get him here?"

"Eh, well... I don't personally know him," Nino replied, surprised at Yuki's sudden change of mood, " What I mean to say is that, I just know him from watching this news program"

"Oh I see..." Yuki sounded, disappointed.

"Oh!" Yuki's eyes lit up, her disappointment forgotten in a span of two seconds.

"What is it?"

"We have to get him here!"

"Um... how?"

"I don't know yet, but you'll help me!" Yuki replied with a manic glint in her eye.

"Eehh... well, I..."

"Go get some rest! I'll give you some medicine for your fever, and tomorrow we'll figure out a way to get him here."

"Okay..." Nino, unable to protest, managed to squeak in agreement. At the back of his head, Nino strongly wished that this was all some strange, crazy dream brought about by his fever.

 _Nino's going to get Sho back! Yay!!_

Yes, Nino was convinced that he really needed a good night's rest...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> err... If anyone's reading this, I'm still figuring out how to use this website :3 anyhoo, all of this has been published around uh, 3 years ago at lj, but since lj's been acting funny and unstable, I'm backing up my stuff here.
> 
> I often self-edit and these are some of the first things I wrote, so it's probably going to be embarrassing, and I doubt that I've really improved over the years ^^()


	4. Tremors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nino dreams about his past life

Nino, Yuki, and the three dolls continued to watch Sho's segment over dessert and some warm tea until the program ended. The dishes were put away by Yuki's servants and Nino was given some medicine for his fever. As the rain finally started to subside, Yuki and Nino started forming plans on how to get Sho to visit their little boutique...   
  
"Sho's a pretty good looking guy, don't you think?" Yuki turned to Nino who looked considerably better after being fed.   
  
"Yes, I suppose he is. He just looks a bit ... dorky to me"  Nino replied   
  
"Still, you admit he is attractive," Yuki quirked a brow at Nino as she tentatively experimented with the TV's remote control.   
  
"Of course, or he wouldn't have gotten on television..." Nino replied, distracted by how Yuki surfed channels, changed the volume, and played with the color settings all at once.   
  
"Well, we are a fashion boutique, aren't we?"   
  
"Yes...what do you have in mind?"   
  
"I don't know... I suppose we could invite him to do a little feature on our shop, or ... or, maybe we could get him as a model!" said Yuki, her eyes twinkling, as she pictured Sho looking sleek and elegant in a tailored Armani suit; Plans of how to actually get Sho to the boutique temporarily forgotten...   
  
"That sounds like an idea..." Nino reflected, working out the details of Yuki's plans.   
  
"Well, it's getting late," Yuki said as she switched the television off and got up to stretch her arms "Good thing it's a weekend tomorrow. You don't have to wake up early"    
  
"Oh yes, thank you for the clothes and the food," Nino replied "I think the rain's not that strong anymore..."   
  
"Don't even think about going home," Yuki wagged her finger at Nino "You still have a fever, and I'm not letting you go home sick."    
  
Nino merely nodded in assent as Yuki once more summoned her servants to prepare one of the guest rooms.    
  
"...really, that's not necessary, I could sleep on the couch here" Nino offered   
  
"Don't be silly, you're sick and you need to be comfortable... unless of course you'd like to sleep with Ohno?" Yuki winked "You can take him to your room if you want..."   
  
"No n-not really," Nino stammered, remembering the funny voices in his head, ( _especially the one that  protested when he said that Sho was dorky_ )   
  
"Are you sure? Ohno would have loved it though" Yuki teased.   
  
"Maybe some other time..." Nino squeaked in reply as he began to follow Yuki through the colorful display aisles of of clothes, shoes, and accessories that her shop carried.    
  
"Um... I've been wondering..." Nino began    
  
"Yes?"   
  
"Where will you and your servants sleep? This boutique is big, I'm sure but..."   
  
"Well, you're about to enter a part of the shop that customers don't usually get to see..."   
  
Nino and Yuki stopped in front of a plain, heavy wooden door. From one of her dress pockets, Yuki produced a small golden key etched with intricate glyphs and patterns. As Yuki turned the key, a golden-yellow glow crept out from under the door.  Yuki placed the palms of her hands on each side of the door and leaned in slightly, closing her eyes, while she started to softly chant words in a language unfamiliar to Nino's ear. As Yuki chanted, strange runes and symbols carved themselves out on the door's surface. The glyphs emitted an eerie red glow and began to dance and rearrange itself, as if following Yuki's voice. When the glyphs finally stood stationary, Yuki held the doorknob and uttered one final syllable before turning it and pulling the door open. Nino, who had been silently watching the strange events unfold right before his eyes, was seriously starting to doubt that this was a hallucination created by his fever.  With his feet glued where he stood, Nino wondered why he wasn't already running out to the street and screaming his lungs off. A deep-seated instinct, however, told him to stay and see what would happen next.    
  
His agitation increased as Yuki pulled the door open. On the other side was a lavishly decorated living room that belonged to a large mansion; it's decor largely inspired by the Victorian era, with its heavy drapes and its vibrant, mahogany fixtures. Buried memories threatened to spill out from Nino like a drowning man gasping for air as Yuki gently led him to sit on one of the lush couches of the living room. Nino, looking at his surroundings, could not possibly fathom how such a big space could fit inside a boutique. But a part of him told him that it was possible, and that even he was capable of such a feat...   
  
_Do you remember now, Nino?_  Yuki silently thought as she observed Nino: face pale, brows furrowed and clearly terrified.   
_  
Oh no, this isn't good... maybe I was forcing it_ _too soon..._   
  
Yuki sat beside Nino and ran her fingers through his hair in a soothing gesture.   
  
"Are you alright? You seem really tired. Come, I'll show you to your room."    
  
Yuki once more took Nino by his cold, clammy hands and led him to a room which was a fraction smaller than the living area, but just as lavishly decorated. Nino remained in shock; silent and unresisting as Yuki laid him down on the fluffy pillows of  his big, white bed and tucked him in.   
  
"I'm sorry Nino, I didn't mean to scare you," Yuki whispered as she traced a few glyphs in the air and silently murmured a sleeping spell. Nino fell asleep almost immediately, his angelic face peaceful in slumber.    
  
"Rest well, Nino. Remember things at your own pace, I'm sure Ohno and the others will understand... Besides, we still need to get Sho, right?"  Yuki whispered to Nino's sleeping form as he turned to his side, curled up in a fetal position and wrapped his arms around a pillow.    
  
"I don't know what you've been through, but I'll be here to help you with whatever you need," a tear slowly rolled down Yuki's cheek as she kissed her little brother goodnight. As Yuki turned to leave, she turned off the lights and left the door slightly ajar, letting the soft light from the hallway enter Nino's room.   
  
*******   
  
Although spelled, Nino's sleep was far from peaceful.  After a few hours, Yuki's enchantment wore off and Nino began sleeping fitfully; his legs getting tangled up in the sheets as he tossed and turned while his mind started digging into memories of a buried past that surfaced as disjointed fragments of a lucid dream.   
  
In his dream, Nino saw grand castles and temples surrounded by lush, green vegetation and fields of flowers.  Names of familiar faces flashed in succession through his fuzzy mind, and although he could not tell what they were to him, he knew they were special. He saw Yuki in a white robe, holding an ornate silver staff embedded with precious stones;  Aiba, in the woods as he merrily played with wild forest animals;  Sho, in a brown caftan surrounded by old and dusty tomes; Jun, in his clean, whitewashed study lined with various scrolls and record books;  and Ohno, in a sky-blue robe, surrounded by various paintings and sculptures as he calmly stared into a scrying pool.  He remembered an idyllic world full of enchantment where he could move things by his mind, and where the weather would bend to his whims at the wave of his hand.  At the blink of an eye, however, the peaceful scenery changed. The castles that once stood proudly, lay in ruins; the green grass and the tall, strong trees that once gave shelter were burnt to cinders, and all around him, people and animals lay dead. Nino remembered the tearful goodbyes as he and Sho spelled Ohno, Jun and Aiba into unmoving, lifeless dolls despite the violent and angry protests. He also recalls Yuki's resolve to bring the three to safety even though he knew how badly her heart was against leaving the two behind.     
  
The last few moments of his dream were made of an angry ball of flame that drew nearer, and a vow to reunite with the others in another life. Afterwards, came the unbearable heat and an immense pain that ate at his skin. A comforting darkness followed, and Nino made a silent promise to forget all the painful parts of this memory.   
  
As his soul peacefully floated along the void, a large part of  Nino was eternally grateful that he was able to save what was most important to him...   
  
"Ohno..." Nino mumbled as he suddenly sat up; eyes wide open, although his mind was still locked in a dream state. Nino started to grope blindly in the dim room and stumbled out of his bed, knocking over a small lamp perched on his bedside table.   
  
"Nino, what is it?" Yuki, unable to sleep in her own room, popped in to check on the commotion.   
  
"Ohno. Where's Ohno? I need to find him."    
  
"He's right here..." Yuki gently led a half -asleep Nino to the living room where dolls sat.   
  
"Ohno!" Nino exclaimed, as he rushed to Ohno's side and held his unmoving figure in a tight embrace. Ohno's tailored suit got soaked in tears as Nino cried and sobbed himself to sleep on Ohno's shoulders.    
  
_Nino...What's wrong?_   
  
_Poor Nino... I wonder what happened?_   
  
_I don't know, Aiba... I wish I did._ Jun replied, deeply frustrated at his inability to help.   
_  
I wonder if Sho went through the same thing?_   
_  
We'll never know until he gets here, unfortunately..._   
_  
I think Ohno won't be staying with us tonight,_ Aiba said as Yuki led her distressed little brother back to his bedroom once more, with Ohno in tow.   
  
**********   
  
The following morning found Ohno lying stiffly beside Nino on his four-poster bed, with his unblinking eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. Nino, who had forgotten most of what transpired the night before,  merely dismissed Ohno's appearance as a prank from Yuki. Nevertheless, in the few groggy minutes that he spent trying to grasp at a dream that he couldn't remember, Nino looked at Ohno with a fondness saved for loved ones and old friends.   
  
As he smoothed the doll's unkempt hair, a small voice spoke in his mind:    
  
_Good Morning, Nino I hope you slept well..._   
  
_Good Morning, Ohno._  Nino replied, smiling fondly at the mannequin.    
  
A few minutes later came a loud knock, and a voice that said:   
  
"Oi Nino, breakfast is ready! Come and get it!"   
  
"I'm coming...o--"...  _Oneechan?_   Nino just scratched his head as he got up, stretched his limbs and stepped out, leaving Ohno alone inside the big room.   
  
_I missed you, Nino..._


	5. Siblings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nino and Yuki plot and scheme to get Sho

Nino's serendipitous appearance gave renewed hope and joy for both the dolls and Yuki, who dearly missed her 'stubborn little brat' of a brother.   
  
Since their arrival, Yuki had been working on familiarizing herself with the ways of this strange new dimension that she and the dolls would come to call home. Using her ability to absorb knowledge and experience through borrowing the minds of others; she quickly learned its language and its culture. She had even developed a fondness for new technology and its dizzying array of toys and gadgets. Yuki had gone a long way from someone who could barely operate the remote control, to someone who currently owns the latest mobile phone, an iPod, and a big plasma television that replaced the once tiny box that caught her fancy with its moving pictures. Yuki is now a tech-savvy, fashionista who owns and maintains one of Tokyo's hippest boutiques. The main reason Yuki was especially grateful for technology, however, was the fact that it helped her save energy that she would normally use for magic.    
  
Before discovering the wonder of mobile phones and GPS tracking, Yuki used to obsessively scry through her crystal ball to keep an eye on Nino--- mostly to see if he's safe, and also out of a curiosity to see how Nino lived. Nino, she discovered, was the same person, regardless of the world or dimension that he grew up in. In this current life, Nino is college student taking up a degree on Ancient History. He is quite fond of the subject, not out of a love for memorizing names and dates, but because tactics and strategies, be it in war or in politics, kept his keen mind occupied. His primary interest always had to do with gaining the upper hand in any situation, and Yuki was hardly surprised that his major splurge was spent on a gaming console that played mostly rpgs or tactical games. Nino is still the same stingy and frugal person, who picked up stray coins and could only be forced to spend on things or people he considered important.  Nino also  lost none of the sharp wit that won him most of his verbal fights and the wicked streak that led him to do one silly prank after another. It reminded Yuki of the carefree times when all she and Nino did was argue and try to outprank each other. She still remembers the time when she woke up terrified, to several toads croaking her birthday song when she turned twelve,  and how she retaliated by turning all of Nino's toys into slimy lizards (which Nino then stuffed into her drawer the following evening...)    
  
Nino had adapted well to a life without servants. Nino could cook, clean and do everyday household chores by himself, and juggle it well with his part time job and his schoolwork-- both of which he does an excellent job.  As Yuki watched the mature and responsible young man in front of her, she began to miss the obnoxious little brother who she used to play games with...   
  
****   
  
It was a rather uneventful Wednesday night, and according to Yuki's mobile phone, Nino arrived home after a making a short stop at the grocery store. He was probably fixing himself a little meal before studying for his final exams which were only a month away. Reassured of her brother's safety, Yuki continued to check on the progress of her plans to get Sho to visit the shop without using too much magic, or arousing too much suspicion.   
  
Publicity, Nino told her, was what they needed the most. If the shop becomes well known, there was a good chance that it would be featured on the arts and culture section that Sho hosted. So, with the aid of a little magic, and some money, Yuki made the shop more attractive to potential customers.    
  
The store's pricey merchandise meant that the store won't be frequented  by the average, working class customers, or teenaged girls looking for trendy clothes, although the occasional brave soul would enter the shop to have a look at its wares. The shop's buying customers always came from the very wealthy and Yuki sensed that this was a problem, so she decided to extend her shop to include a cozy little cafe that sold gourmet coffee along with baked pastries and desserts. The small cafe that opened quite recently was run by her servant, Marguerite, who was only too happy to put her baking talents to good use. In addition to generating extra profit, the cafe also drew more attention to the boutique. More customers got brave enough to satisfy their curiosity to have a look around, and many were pleasantly surprised to be treated with the same warmth that the staff treated its buying customers. The cafe, of course, received rave reviews and would soon need a bigger seating area.      
  
Deciding that they had enough attention to be featured on television, Yuki retreated to her room and wrote a letter to the broadcasting company that Sho works for. She sent both letters through email and by post, sealed in a special envelope that would find itself on top of the desk of whoever needed to be addressed. So with crossed fingers, Yuki waited impatiently for a favorable reply and hoped she didn't have to resort to drastic measures to get Sho to reunite with everybody else. After all, scrying didn't take up too much of her energy and by now, she already knew where the nerdiest of the lot lived.   
  
Yuki was quite happy to know that Sho retained all of the lovable awkwardness he held during his past life. He still had an immense love and respect for knowledge and spent most of his free time reading and learning new things. Sho is still as clumsy as he was back then, and has been known to trip, or stumble over something almost as much as Aiba does. The one good thing about the present Sho (apart from... well, mostly everything else,) Yuki decided, was how he has pleasantly bulked up in the right places. She couldn't remember Sho being anything else but somewhat scrawny during his past life. It was his great capacity and talent to master the most difficult spells that earned him the respect of his peers, but it was his big heart and his naivete of things outside his study that endeared him to everyone.   
  
Satisfied with her letter, Yuki switched her laptop off and went to watch Sho's news program with the three dolls beside her. 9 PM onwards had become TV time for Yuki and the dolls, who would be carried into the lobby for the night and get returned to their perch early in the morning, before Nino arrives.   
  
Nino was probably unaware, Yuki suspects, of the faint stirring of life within the dolls from the first day they met, (which was incidentally, the same day that they found out about Sho.) and even though Yuki could still not hear their thoughts, she was more or less attuned to what they felt, and sometimes spent most of her time apologizing to the dolls who assured her, the best way they could, that they didn't mind being put on display and watching all the interesting things that people did when they thought that nobody was looking.   
  
Settled comfortably in the big couch, with a pot of tea and some cookies, Yuki and the dolls began to watch the news and patiently waited for Sho's segment to start...   
  
_She obviously has a crush on Sho.._ . Jun  watched, amused, as Yuki unconsciously moved to the edge of her seat as soon as Sho started speaking.


	6. Ordinary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sho enters the picture; things start moving (a little...)

If someone asked Sho how he feels about his life right now, he would probably say that he feels quite lucky; and it was true:  Sho had much to be grateful for, growing up in a fairly sheltered environment that left him with very little to ask or want.   
  
Sho grew up the eldest in a loving and supportive family of five. His father was a wealthy merchant who dealt in precious stones, while his mother was a famous author who wrote best selling children's books. He and his siblings, a sister and a brother, grew up in a big mansion fenced inside tall, imposing walls littered with surveillance cameras and security guards lurking in hidden places. Typical of those living in big mansions, the family had servants to cook and clean for them, although their mom was quite stern about  having her kids look after their own rooms. Living in a big house had been in itself, quite an adventure for Sho and his siblings during their childhood. Sho had fond memories of exploring hidden nooks and crannies within the house, and discovering small, secret corners where he would often hide away when he needed time alone.     
  
Sho had two favorite places, the first of which, was the garden that lay beneath a white gate, covered with tendrils of ivy that trailed down its grates.  Behind the gate, the picturesque garden welcomed him with colorful flowerbeds of daisies, sunflowers, and white, and yellow roses cradled by the deep green grass, vibrant and alive under the afternoon sun. At the center of the garden was a small pond that was home to several goldfish that Sho and his siblings had each christened as their own, and a cream-colored  garden swing where their mother would often spend hours writing, and sometimes illustrating her latest book as he and his siblings played tag, or helped the gardener pull out weeds and pick out flowers to take home and place in the living room.     
  
Sho's second favorite place was the family library. Being son to a famous author, Sho had been taught to read and write at an early age by his doting mother who made sure that no son of hers would ever face school unprepared. His natural curiosity and an inborn capacity to learn things quickly, led him to spend countless hours in the study poring over picture books and children's encyclopedias. It didn't take long, (much to his mom's dismay,) before Sho had graduated to books that had more words than pictures and was shortly after reading books which were considered advanced for his age. Sho's deep love for books had him asking for them in place of toys or clothes for birthday presents. By the time Sho had reached the second grade, he had enough books to put up a little library of his own, and had since started teaching his younger siblings how to read. Sho had stepped into third grade with his mental abilities exceeding those of his peers and had to be accelerated to the fifth grade so that his mind wouldn't wander and become bored.   
  
Perhaps the only other thing that Sho loved as much as books, were kittens and he's been known to take home a stray or two whenever he passed by one on his way home from school...   
  
Before his sister's birth, Sho had been a timid child who was nervous and clingy. He often felt lost without his mom and would refuse to be left alone in the big empty house. His fears were so bad that his mother could not leave him alone for long periods of time without coming back to him huddled in one corner and shivering in a cold sweat. There have also been several incidents where little Sho would cry in his sleep for no apparent reason, causing his mother worry and panic as she cradled the trembling boy in her arms. When his mother asked him about his fears, however, Sho would only bury his face in his mothers chest and sob, while he mumbled inaudible things into her bosom, half asleep. There was no apparent explanation for Sho's trauma, nor could the psychologist give a clear cut reason for his fears, other than a very bad memory which none of them had access to. All Sho's mother knew, was that their boy was especially afraid of fire or burning things and had always been careful to stay away from stoves or matches; at times lit candles even scared him. The birth of his sister gave Sho, who was four years old at the time, a new playmate and kept him distracted and busy while he helped his mother take care of the new baby. As time wore on, Sho eventually stopped having nightmares and was able to control his pyrophobia to some extent. He was never fully able to conquer it, however, and had since given up on trying to learn how to cook properly.    
  
*****   
  
Things fell naturally into place for the brightest Sakurai child who had never encountered any problems in school, academic or otherwise. After graduating from college, with a degree in broadcast journalism, Sho moved out of the big mansion and replaced its comforts with a small bachelor pad, located only a few rides away from his workplace.  Sho had retained old habits and was probably one of the few people who kept his living quarters immaculately clean. He had much of what he needed, and could often afford to buy what he wanted although his frugality kept him from spending impulsively. His mother had since moved on from writing children's books, to writing for young adults while his brother inherited his father's business. His sister, in the meantime had taken courses in jewelry design and had her designs consigned to several department stores, while their brother supplied her with the precious stones and gems that she works with.   
  
This particular morning didn't start out as well as Sho would have wanted. There were mixed feelings of fear and anticipation as he woke up from a dream he was vainly trying to remember. Parts of it were similar to the nightmares that had him running to his mom in his younger days, and parts of it were peaceful, tranquil moments that filled him with an inexplicable happiness. His mind kept trying to grasp at the vague outlines of faces, and tried to hold the faint echoes of the voices that threatened to slip from his memories while the rest of him slowly woke up and distractedly tried to brew his morning coffee (that turned out too bitter). He nicked himself in a couple of places while he was shaving and had even burnt his toast while he was reading the morning paper. Deciding to give up on breakfast altogether, Sho took an early bus to work, but not without making sure that his keys and his wallet were all safely tucked inside his black messenger bag.   
  
Upon reaching his desk, Sho found a small envelope sitting undisturbed on top of his folders. The post-it note attached to the small envelope instructed him to see his manager right after reading the contents of the envelope. Warily, Sho opened the envelope and opened a letter which requested him to do a feature on a boutique named "Smitten" and its little cafe which was rapidly gaining popularity for its crepes and tarts.  At the end of the message were Yuki's and Nino's contact information as well as the times when the shop was open. After reading the message, Sho headed to his manager's office and sat down for a little meeting, fragments of his earlier dream still niggling at his mind...   
  
"Good Morning." Sho politely greeted his boss   
  
"Good Morning, Sho. Have a seat."  his boss said amiably, " I guess you've read the contents of the envelope, huh?"   
  
"Yes sir, I have."   
  
"Good, I want you to do a feature on it then, for next week's episode."   
  
"Oh, okay. It's a little bit different from our usual arts and culture features though." said Sho, who was more used to doing features on independent artists and quirky personalities.   
  
"Well, it'd also be good to do features on popular culture every now and then, just for a change of pace. I hear the place is also quite a hit with the younger crowd. "   
  
"I see"   
  
"Well, go on then. Contact them and do a preliminary interview, check out the place before we go there so that the crew would know where to shoot." his boss instructed him. "oh, and buy me some crepes too before you get back. Who knows, they might give you some for free, and we can share."   
  
"Okay. I'm on it"

so that's what he wanted... Sho thought before he went back to his desk and proceeded to dial Yuki's number.  
  
 _Yuki... I vaguely remember someone named Yuki in my dream..._


	7. Nostalgia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nino starts remembering things he doesn't want to

With a knapsack riding heavy on his back and two paper bags in each hand, a haggard Nino hurriedly made his way to the boutique. It was only an hour ago, when he received an 'urgent' phone call from Yuki who gibbered excitedly about how Sho was finally coming to see them. This momentous occasion, according Yuki, demanded a celebration and a grand feast, so she requested Nino to buy a few items from the grocery, and promised to pay him back as soon as he delivers the goods. Nino, who was already used to Yuki's quirks and odd requests (not to mention her huge crush on Sho) could only comply, as the grocery list grew to an exorbitant amount enough to fill Nino's cupboards with a month's worth of food. Thankful that he had enough money to foot the bill, Nino paid the friendly old lady behind the cash register and made his way to the shop.    
  
Inside, the normally quiet boutique was abuzz with activity. Pierre covered the window display with a thick black cloth and was busily selecting new clothes for the dolls, while Marguerite was occupied in the kitchen and had delegated some of her tasks to the other servants who were currently serving customers inside the cafe. As soon as he had deposited the grocery bags onto the kitchen counter, Yuki traipsed in, elegantly decked in a silken black cheongsam that snugly fit her svelte frame. The figure-hugging cheongsam was embroidered with small peonies that trailed down from her ample chest to the dress' hem that rested slightly above her ankle. On Yuki's ears were a pair of teardrop pearl earrings which hung from a fine silver chain, and on her wrists were thin silver bands that she wore with a matching ring. Yuki's long, manicured nails were painted in a deep ruby red that matched her lipstick and her smoky eyes.   
  
"Nino you're finally here! " Yuki squealed in her barely contained excitement, as she gave Nino a tight hug and a light peck on the cheek.   
  
"Um, yeah..." Nino replied; surprised at Yuki's sudden transformation into hormonal teen-aged girl, "Wow, I never knew you liked Sho that much..."   
  
"It's not for him, silly!... well, it is sort of for him, and anyways, I'm going to appear on TV!"   
  
"Okay..." Nino replied; brow raised, as he eyed the slit that began mid thigh and the black stiletto sandals on Yuki's feet.   
  
"So, how do I look?" Yuki asked, preening in front of Nino with her long black hair swept back in a sleek ponytail.   
  
"Okay, I guess."   
  
"Okay?!" Yuki huffed. "You're useless"   
  
"What? What did I do now?"   
  
"Nothing," Yuki sighed, slightly annoyed at Nino's cluelessness "Anyway, go help Pierre with Ohno and the others, then get dressed. Sho should be here by six."   
  
"Eh? But why do I have to get dressed? And besides, I don't have any fancy clothes with me, I only have jeans and rubber shoes, can't I just go home after helping Pierre?" Nino whined.   
  
"We have clothes your size that you can borrow, remember? Anyway I'm pretty sure you don't have any money on you after paying for those groceries." Yuki grinned.   
  
"..."   
  
"Besides, you'll be appearing on TV too! So, after helping Pierre, go get freshened up. I'll prepare some clothes for you and I'll pay you after Sho leaves, I'll even put in extra for overtime work"   
  
"Yes, boss...Wait, what do you mean appear on TV?!"    
  
"No more questions. We're eating dinner with Sho. Now go on and help Pierre. That's a good boy." Yuki smiled and left Nino gaping as she made her way to Marguerite who was busy preparing her crepes and tarts.   
  
*****   
Pierre, thankful for Nino's arrival, left him in charge of the dolls while he proceeded to redecorate the window display. The clothes and the shoes had been laid out on the couch, and all that was left to do was undress the mannequins, put on their new clothes, and style their hair. Three months of working with the dolls in this odd shop, had Nino convinced that his sanity had gone on a vacation without him. The crazier bit, he concluded, was that he actually had no plans of leaving this place and looking for something saner  that didn't involve quirky employers asking you to dress up and eat with newscasters, and mannequins left to watch television on their own. He couldn't quite reconcile how quickly he had gotten so familiar with Yuki, and why Yuki didn't seem to mind this familiarity while she was so strict in dealing with her other staff. Nino also found it strange that this fancy boutique in all its opulence was a place that felt very much like home despite his simple, utilitarian sensibilities. The boutique was the one place he would prefer to hang out in when he needed to recover from the mundane silence of his tiny apartment and when he needed to unwind from his hectic university life.   
  
Bit by bit, despite the very strong pull of his rational mind, Nino was coming to accept that the voices in his head weren't his. At times, and often when he was alone, he would respond out loud at the comments being thrown his way, or join in the little conversation happening around him. This particular afternoon, the dolls seemed to be more excited and agitated than usual. As Nino began to undress Aiba,  three voices started to simultaneously fill his head with their excited ramblings.   
  
_"Hello Nino!"_ Aiba greeted Nino in his usual friendly manner,  _" Hey, hey, do you think Sho will remember us?"_

"Ne Aiba, have you seen what Yuki's wearing? It seems she's dressed up especially for Sho" Jun teased.  
  
 _"Noo! Nino, make me look good! I want to look good for Sho!_ " Aiba whined as Nino started slipping Aiba's legs into his pants.  
  
Nino paused and looked up at Aiba, "What, you want red lipstick too?"  
  
Jun and Ohno's laughter muffled Aiba's protests while Nino inserted Aiba's arms into the sleeves of the black, floor length trench coat that completed his ensemble.  
  
" _You're mean, Nino._..." Nino could nearly hear the pout from Aiba's words...  
  
" _Do you think Sho likes girls now?_ "  Aiba asked, suddenly insecure.   
  
 _"I don't think so. You've got nothing to worry about_." Jun replied, trying to contain Aiba's emerging panic.  
  
" _But what if he doesn't remember us? Nino doesn't..._ "  
  
" _I think he does...At least he talks to us now, right? Maybe it'll take some time_." Ohno replied  
  
" _Yes, silly and from the looks of it, he's the only one who can hear us._ " added Jun as Nino started dressing him up. " _Which reminds me... I am NOT going to wear that hideous tie._ "  
  
Nino paused once more, unsure of whether or not he should talk to Pierre and change Jun's tie or if he should just ignore the snooty little voice in his head telling him to get a purple tie, and can he please change the cufflinks?. Resolved, Nino stood up and faced Jun, black necktie in hand.  
  
"Nope, you're going to wear this." Nino grinned "Although I suppose I could dress you up as a nurse. Nobody knows you're a guy anyway" Nino snickered as he slipped on a pair of glittery hairclips onto Jun's locks and tucked the remaining strands behind his ear..   
  
"There you go, princess. All pretty..."  
  
" _I am so going to kill you ..._ "  a very irritated Jun replied.  
  
" _Ne Jun, you look kind of cute with those clips_ _anyway_ " Ohno said  
  
" _Yes, you look like a very pretty girl... in men's clothes... Except you have no breasts!_ " Aiba chirped  
  
" _Die._ "  
  
"... _I think you should just be happy he doesn't have permanent markers_ " Aiba said  
  
" _Just like old times, huh?_ "  Added a giggling Ohno who was gently being positioned to sit on Nino's lap.  
  
The room stood still as Nino finally started to work on Ohno's clothes. Aiba and Jun suddenly  felt like unwanted guests who intruded on something taboo as they watched Nino's playful, mischievous eyes soften into a warm gaze; his brown eyes catching  the fading rays of the sun, as he looked at Ohno's face. Unconsciously,  Nino's actions became more careful and deliberate as he caressed Ohno's arms and started to gently undress him as though he was his lover. For a moment, Nino was lost in a trance as he ran his fingers down Ohno's naked back, stopping at his hip before nimble fingers resumed undoing Ohno's pants and pulling them off of his legs, leaving only a pair of black socks behind. Ohno,  unable to stop himself uttered a tiny whisper...  
  
"Nino..."   
  
Confused, Nino looked up at Ohno; brows furrowed, as his eyes searched for answers in Ohno's face. His grip on Ohno's hips got slightly firmer and his calm and gentle aura had been replaced by a growing apprehension. Nino felt as if he were forcing himself to remember something that he shouldn't have forgotten. With his face pale and his pulse racing, Nino exhaled shakily as he forced his trembling hands to finish the job and get Ohno dressed. Once the last button had been inserted into its hole, Nino laid Ohno beside Aiba and glanced uncertainly at the dolls.  
  
"Well, you're all dressed up now.   Um, I'm going to get dressed too. I guess I'll see you later with Sho." Nino said in a small voice before he went off to find Pierre.  
  
Alone once more in the tense and awkward silence that filled the room, Aiba spoke softly:   
  
" _Ne, Ohno were you always like that when you were together?_ "  
  
" _Um well...only when we were alone_ _..._ " Ohno replied in a sad voice as he worried about Nino.  
  
" _Jun?_ " Ohno asked  
  
" _Yes?_ "  
  
" _Can you still...I mean, are you able to...?_ "  
  
" _I can, but it's not as strong as before. I can only know what he feels when he touches me_ "  
  
" _What does he feel?_ _Is he okay?_ "   
  
" _I'm not sure. I know that he feels lost. He remembers us somehow. You, especially, but when he tries to remember more, he gets scared..._ _terrified._ "  
  
" _What should we do then?"_ Aiba asked.  
  
" _I don't know, Aiba. I can't read minds, or tap into memories like Yuki. My gift is limited to knowing how one feels..."  
_  
" _Do you think he'll be okay? What happened back then must have been so awful"_  
  
" _I think it was horrid enough to make him want to forget..."_  
  
Their conversation was cut short as Pierre entered and carried them off to Marguerite's cafe, which had been closed off two hours earlier, especially for Sho's appearance.   
  
*****  
Inside his dressing room, Nino was breaking into a cold sweat. Memories of what happened during his first encounter with Yuki came flooding back -- from the stormy afternoon, to the magical door and the big house that lay behind it. Vivid recollections of his dream surfaced into his consciousness as he remembered the old temples and castles, the lush forests and the fields of flowers, all destroyed by a wildfire that ate the planet alive. Scared and frustrated, Nino curled up in a corner, hugging his knees to his chest as he tried to recollect himself by piecing the bits of the puzzle that formed in his mind.   
  
Heaving a sigh, Nino slowly stretched his legs and rested his head on the cold, concrete wall beneath him. Extending his arms over his head, Nino counted to ten and breathed deeply as he steeled himself  to accept several unimaginable things which would have him throw his remaining sanity out the window. Logic and rationality aside, he was sure of these few things: The dolls are alive, they could talk, they knew him, and they knew Sho. Once he had solved the mystery of how the dolls had gotten into such a state, the whole picture would reveal itself. Content with his decision, Nino began dressing himself up in a formal gray suit and a pair of soft, black leather shoes, and neatly folded his plaid, button up shirt and his tattered jeans before putting it aside in one of the empty closets inside the dressing room.  
  
****  
Outside, things were visibly less chaotic as the staff winded down to add the finishing touches to their preparations. The boutique had closed earlier than usual and the black cloth was draped over the window display. Inside the cafe, the lights had been dimmed to a soft, yellowish glow and light bossa nova tunes played softly in the background, while the dolls stood behind a table that was set for four. At around 5:40 Yuki entered to do a last minute check while Marguerite brewed some coffee for herself and  the tired staff. Ten minutes later, Nino arrived dressed in a gray suit and a slightly lopsided tie that earned him a small lecture from Yuki on how he'd need learn how to dress properly for a job interview while she fixed Nino's tie. Since arriving at the cafe, Yuki noticed a slight change in Nino's demeanor. Although he could still manage witty remarks and snide comebacks, Nino somehow seemed more contemplative and quieter than usual. It was a face that Yuki had seen countless times, whenever Nino would ponder over strategies and tactics (and at times, pranks.) It seems that Nino was trying to figure something out, or perhaps something had awakened within Nino and he was trying to put things together. Six o' clock, however, was only two minutes away and Yuki decided to pursue that train of thought at another time.    
  
At precisely six in the evening, a tall, wavy-haired man was making his way towards the cafe. Yuki squeezed Nino's shoulders in her excitement as Sho finally reached the door and began to knock softly.  
  
"Sho! Welcome in." Yuki greeted Sho warmly, as she directed him to the table.  
  
"Thank you, Miss Nakahara" Sho replied politely.  
  
"Please, call me Yuki" Yuki replied, extending her hand.  
  
"Very pleased to meet you, Yuki" Sho replied, shaking her hand.  
  
"This is Nino, he works here"  
  
"Good evening " said Nino, masking the slight agitation as he sensed the strange vibe coming off of Sho.  
  
"Good evening" Sho replied, his earlier dream suddenly niggling in his mind.  
  
As soon as Sho reached the table, however, three other voices made themselves heard...  
  
 _Sho!_

You're finally here!

Make us move, quick! I missed you so much!  
  
Confused, Sho whipped his head around to search for the owners of those voices. All he found however, were the mannequins which were oddly enough, standing around the table they were to dine on. Nino's sharp eyes caught the confused look flashed on his face and the curious glance that Yuki threw in Sho's direction.  
  
 _Apparently, Sho can hear them too..._ Nino thought to himself.


	8. Into the rabbit hole

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nino talks to the dolls and tries to reassure a very nervous Sho

Dinner hadn't even started and Sho was already showing signs of nervousness, stumbling on his words and unknowingly knocking over an empty wine glass due to his fidgeting. Amid the seemingly relaxed atmosphere of muted lights and soft music, Sho was suffering from an auditory overload. Around him, the unnamed voices chattered on excitedly, while Yuki, sitting across from him, also tried her best to hold his attention with her small talk and her girlish giggles. At the moment Sho felt like he was in the throes of a migraine and was starting to wonder if he had ingested any hallucinogen that would bring about this kind of head trip...    
  
_Sho, look at me, don't I look good...?_

Wow, you've grown so tall! What have you been doing...?

Where have you been all this time? Did you miss us...?

"I'm so glad you finally decided to visit our shop..."   
  
For a while, Sho pondered creating a convenient excuse and bolting straight out of the shop. It was, however, when Nino loudly cleared his throat that the cacophony of voices came to a halt. Nino suddenly announced:     
  
"Ne Yuki, I think Sho wants to use the restroom, maybe you can show him where it is?"   
  
"Oh, silly me. I didn't notice." Yuki replied, slightly annoyed that her little chat with Sho had been interrupted by her meddling little brother. "Do you need to go to the restroom?"   
  
"Uh, yes. Actually, I'd be very grateful if you showed me where it is." Sho replied, relieved that he had a few moments to regroup before deciding if he should go on with the preliminary interview.   
  
"Right this way then," Yuki stood up as she proceeded to direct Sho to the men's restroom, "Nino, will you stay here and wait for the food while I show our guest where the restroom is? I'll also be powdering my nose; we won't take long"   
  
"No problem. I'll be right here" Nino replied with a reassuring wave.    
  
"Thanks."   
  
Alone with the dolls once more; Nino took a deep breath, steeling his resolve as he began putting his plans into action. Determined not to look (or feel) silly, Nino faced the unmoving figures of Aiba, Jun, and Ohno and began addressing them directly ...   
  
"Hello...dolls..." Nino began awkwardly, "I think you already know my name... uh, anyway I might just be crazy for thinking that you guys can really talk, but..."    
  
_But we can talk!_   Aiba interrupted.   _Wait... You've heard us all along? How come you didn't talk to us too?_   
  
"Er, yes, I can hear you. I think I heard your voices when I first entered this shop but I thought it was just because of my fever.   Um, I'm sorry I don't remember you yet but I promise that I will. Right now though, we have a problem."   
  
_What problem is that?_ Ohno asked   
  
"I think that you already know that not everyone can hear you. Apparently Yuki can't, nor can Pierre or the rest of Yuki's staff... I'm not sure about Sho, but I think he can hear you too."   
  
_That's great!_  Aiba chirped   
  
"Well... not exactly."   
  
_Why not?_   
  
"Well, the mannequins that I'm used to don't usually talk. But you're mannequins, and you can talk... and you don't have batteries ...but still, I'm the only one so far who can hear you.  Sho doesn't know that you can talk and he probably thinks he's going crazy and he might even be a little scared"   
  
_Nino...?_   
  
"Yes, Jun?"   
_  
Can we talk later? I think there are some things you need to know..._   
  
"Okay"   
  
_But when can we let him know that we talk?_  Aiba asked   
  
"We'll have to take our time. I don't know why we seem to be the only ones who can hear you, but Sho looked like he was about to bolt a while ago and if you want him to stay  you'll have to keep quiet, at least for now... Anyway, I think they're on their way back and Marguerite is coming with the food."   
  
_Okay Nino, we'll keep quiet_ .  The dolls conceded.    
  
Seconds later, Marguerite began serving the appetizers, while Sho made his way back to his seat, face a little pale and slightly damp.   
  
"Hey Sho, you look a little pale. Are you okay?" Nino asked as Sho warily took his place back in the table.   
  
"Uh, yes. I think I'm okay now. I just have a small headache, that's all" Sho replied, eyes darting here and there as he expectantly waited for the voices to return.   
  
"Where's Yuki?"   
  
"I don't know, she just said she'll be going to the ladies' room to powder her nose or something."   
  
"I see..." Nino observed. Sho's rigid shoulders finally slumped down as he began to relax.   
  
A comfortable silence lapsed between the two with Nino idly picking  his food while he watched Sho's strained features soften into a relaxed, unguarded curiosity. His eyes which were darting around nervously  a few minutes ago were now languidly roaming around, taking in the atmosphere and absorbing little details here and there. His eyes wandered to the corner tables with its soft, cozy sofas; the walls, and its art nouveau paintings; and the upholstered wooden chairs with its intricately carved armrests. A few minutes later, Sho's eyes rested on the dolls that stood beside him.   
  
"These dolls are really pretty, they look so lifelike. I don't think I've seen anything like them before" Sho remarked.   
  
"They do look lifelike, don't they? When I first started working here, I actually thought they were humans" Nino replied, laughing softly.   
  
"They must've had it custom-made..." Sho marveled at the dolls, his gaze fixed on one particular mannequin with its streaked blond hair cut in a short shag, framing its oval face with its full lips and its big eyes.   
  
"His name's Aiba." Nino supplied, suddenly amused "The one beside him is called Jun, and the one beside Jun is Ohno"   
  
"I see. They must be really special dolls to have their own names." Sho replied with a quizzical look on his face, his eyes never leaving Aiba.   
  
"I guess you can say that. Anyway, why is Yuki taking so long?"   
  
"Sorry about that, you could have started eating without me you know." Yuki said as she hurriedly made her way back to her seat.   
  
"What were you doing anyway?" Nino asked   
  
"That's my little secret" Yuki winked, "Besides, you don't ask girls things like that when you know they've just come from the restroom"   
  
"Okay, okay. Let's start eating." Nino replied as Marguerite served the main course and poured the red wine.   
  
"Thank you for this meal." Sho replied as he started digging in to his pasta dish.   
  
Sho, Yuki, and Nino enjoyed a pleasant dinner with much laughter and light conversation which went well into the night. The three felt at ease with each other and talked like old friends, much to their surprise. Sho conducted his preliminary interview with much ease and promised to come back after three days with the crew to film around the shop. The night had been quite productive for both Yuki and Sho, as Yuki found out about Sho's family business and struck a deal with the young reporter to consign his sister's jewelry, just as a small favor for agreeing to feature her boutique on their show (and of course, to keep in constant touch with him.) The dolls kept their promise and remained silent all throughout dinner, with neither Nino nor Sho hearing a peep from any of them. As their little meeting came to an end, Sho bade Yuki and Nino goodbye and promised to update them at the soonest possible time about the arrangements to be made for the show, and his sister's response to Yuki's proposition. At 10:30 in the evening, Nino and Yuki were left alone in the cafe with the dolls. Yuki handed Nino his pay and asked him to return the dolls to the lobby where Pierre would handle the rest, as she also called it a day and retreated to her room to sleep.   
  
As soon as Yuki was out of the cafe, Jun began to speak.   
  
_About that little talk..._   
  
"Oh, yes, what about it?"  Nino asked tiredly, as he reclined on one of the sofas in the cafe.   
  
_I think you ought to know..._   
  
Yes?   
  
_We're not really dolls. We used to be able to move, breathe and eat, just like you...  
_   
Nino remained silent as he tried to process the new information. A million other questions ran through his mind and he didn't think that he had enough energy to have all of them answered at the moment.   
  
"... Well, that kind of makes sense, I think. But how did you..."   
  
_Ne, Nino-chan don't you think you should be getting some rest? You should take us to the lobby now, then you should go home and get some sleep._  Ohno interrupted   
  
_But Ohno! He..._   
  
_I don't think that Nino needs to know everything right now, Aiba_ Ohno explained, recalling how Nino reacted, not so long ago, while he was dressing them up in the lobby.    
  
After a moment's pause, Jun relented and agreed with Ohno's decision _._

I think Ohno's right this time. Maybe we can figure something out tomorrow.  
  
"Thank you, Jun. I guess I'll be bringing you to the lobby now" Nino replied, mildly relieved.  
 _  
I guess we'll see you tomorrow then_ , said Aiba as Nino carried him off along with Jun to the lobby.  
  
 _Good night, Nino_ said Ohno, who was the last one to be brought to the lobby _Take care, be safe_  
  
"Don't worry, Ohno, I will." Nino replied, feeling lighthearted for some reason as he sat Ohno beside Jun in the lobby's big sofa.   
  
"Do you want to watch TV?" Nino asked  
  
 _Can we watch cartoons?_ said Aiba  
  
 _I_ _want to watch the news,_  demanded Jun  _Hey, you owe me for these stupid hairclips, by the way  
_  
"Um, okay, I guess..." said Nino who turned on the big plasma television and switched it to a 24 hour anime channel.  
  
 _Yay cartoons!_  
  
 _I said I wanted the news_...  
  
"Sorry Jun, first come first served" Nino smirked as he made his way to the dressing room to return his fancy Armani suit and change back to his jeans and sneakers.  
  
****  
  
Nino finally reached home safe and sound. Pierre handed him some money for his cab fare and Marguerite gave him some of the leftover crepes to eat for breakfast the following morning. It was only when he got out of the cab that he noticed that his schoolbag had gotten somewhat heavier. As soon as he reached his bedroom, he started unpacking his things and was surprised to find a small, but thick leather-bound book lying under his schoolbooks and his pencil case.  As he opened the flap he was a little shaken to find glowing red glyphs which seemed eerily familiar. With trembling hands, Nino quickly shut the book and dropped it to the floor...  
  
It was real.   
  
This was Yuki's, and somehow it had gotten to his bag...


	9. Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A look into Aiba's life

Dawn broke through the thick, cold winter fog as spring roused the sleepy forest into waking. The crisp morning air greeted Aiba's pale elfin face as he made his way down the path from his home up in the hills,  his strawberry-blond hair catching the first rays of the warm sun as it thawed the frost-tipped leaves of the trees and  flowers that lined the rough pebbled path he walked on.  As the sun rose higher and bathed the forest in its golden light, the sweet and playful chirping of the birds could be heard, singing  a happy tune that welcomed the sun and heralded spring's arrival; their blithe melody coaxing the rest of the animals out of their long and deep slumber.   
  
Aiba yawned, scrunching up his small, rosy-cheeked face, while he stretched an arm over his head and rubbed his eyes; groaning loudly as he made his way towards a small clearing. Deciding to rest for a while, Aiba sat on a small rock and placed his heavy knapsack on the slightly damp soil while his hands dug for a small snack to nibble on.  As he ate a slight scuffling could be heard; moments later, a small brown squirrel emerged from one of the surrounding bushes. The squirrel nimbly climbed up Aiba's legs, and upon reaching his knees, uttered a few squeaks; tail raised expectantly, as it hungrily eyed Aiba's sandwich and then quickly turned its eager gaze onto Aiba's face.   
  
"Good Morning to you too, Shimuken" Aiba said, tearing off a small piece of his sandwich and giving it to the little squirrel who quickly stuffed it into one of its cheeks and squeaked in gratitude.   
  
"You're welcome. Spring's wonderful, isn't it? Everything's warm and sunny, and all the flowers start waking up... I'm going to the city, you know!" Aiba said excitedly, " I've only been there twice. It's this big place below the hills with  lots of temples and a very big castle. It's a bit far from here and I'll probably get there by nightfall, unless I meet a nice horse who would let me ride until I get there."    
  
"...well, I'm supposed to learn magic" Aiba continued in reply to another inquisitive squeak from the little squirrel "I'm not quite sure what magic I'm supposed to learn since all I can do is talk to animals..." Aiba frowned, "I think my mom said something about developing my latent abilities, but I wasn't really paying attention. Inu-chan was about to steal Mariko's breakfast this morning and I had to stop him. He was quite upset when he learned that I won't be back for a long time, so he chewed on mom's favorite chair and hid my dad's slippers in the backyard. I was practically chasing him the whole morning..."   
  
"Is there plenty of food in the city? Well, I suppose there is, there are plenty of people there after all." Aiba said as he finished eating the rest of his sandwich, " Hmm... okay, I guess I can take you with me, but you have to promise not to disturb anyone else or cause any trouble, okay? Here, hop inside my bag"  Aiba opened the back pocket of his bag as his little friend made himself cozy inside the small space. After a small sip from his water bottle, Aiba stood up and continued on foot towards the city.   
  
Today was going to be  Aiba's first day as an apprentice, and he was going to serve under one of the kingdom's greatest wizards. Aiba was born the middle child in a family of five which included an older brother, and a younger sister. They each had special gifts and talents, being from a lineage of magi and wizards who lived to protect the forests. His older brother inherited his father's skill for forging magical weapons and was a sought-after sword smith, while his younger sister possessed the gift of tongues, inherited from their grandmother, and was able to communicate in any language. Aiba, in the meantime had the rare gift of being able to communicate with animals and plants, although the language of trees and flowers were oftentimes so obscure to him that he preferred to call on the animals to translate them for him.    
  
Noon found Aiba resting under the shade of a tall tree. After walking for several miles he and Shimuken finally reached the bottom of the hill. Aiba stopped for a little nap while Shimuken busily scavenged for bits of nuts or  fruits that have been left lying around the tree. A few feet from where Aiba rested was a stream of crystal clear water that ran alongside the path leading to the city. While Shimuken was busily gathering food, the sound of hooves clapping along the pebbled path could be heard; moments later, a tall white horse approached the stream and stopped to take a drink. Shimuken hurriedly scampered to Aiba's side and gave his small ear a nibble in an attempt to rouse the sleeping boy.   
  
"Inu-chan, stop that!" Aiba giggled as the small squirrel continued to nibble on Aiba's ears   
  
*SQUEAK!*   
  
"Horse, what horse?" Aiba opened one bleary eye to find the squirrel squeaking excitedly into his ear.   
  
"Ohhh. That horse!" Aiba exclaimed upon seeing the white steed as it drank from the stream.   
  
Aiba hurriedly rinsed his face in the stream before he approached the horse and patiently waited for it to finish drinking...   
  
"Good Afternoon, Mr. Horse," Aiba began. " My friend and I are on our way to the city. It's a little far from here, and I was wondering if you would be kind enough to let us ride on your back. I would be glad to feed you the apples that I have if you take us there" Aiba said, as he procured three juicy apples from his bag.  After mulling things over, the horse neighed a few times and agreed to take Aiba and Shimuken on his back in exchange for the apples. Aiba hurriedly refilled his canteen before riding on the horse's back and Shimuken, likewise stuffed the rest of his loot inside Aiba's bag. The white horse started out on a casual trot and eventually speeded up after some time. The journey to the city was much faster as the horse broke into a run, with its strong and able legs taking them within a few meters from the city's border before sunset. As he promised, Aiba retrieved the apples from his knapsack and fed each of them by hand, to the horse who munched appreciatively on the red and juicy fruit. After finishing the apples, the horse turned back and trotted off into the forest, bidding Aiba and Shimuken a fond farewell and the best of luck, which Aiba likewise returned.  Aiba once more began to walk towards the city with the little squirrel perched upon his shoulder, squeaking excitedly and pestering Aiba about the kinds of food that he'd find in the city.   
  
As Aiba and Shimuken approached the gates, they were intercepted by a pair of royal guards who watched over the south entrance to the city. The tall and burly men inquired Aiba about his business and his purpose for coming to the city. At the request of the guards, Aiba produced a small parchment from his bag, sealed with the king's royal crest, that stated his agreement to serve as an apprentice under the head wizard of the city. Satisfied with his papers, the guards moved aside and let Aiba through.    
  
Much had changed since Aiba's last visit to the city and he was both overwhelmed and in awe of the sights and sounds that greeted him. Around him, the busy city buzzed like a hive of worker bees as merchants noisily peddled their wares to both nobles and peasants dressed in various clothes fashioned from threads in every color of the rainbow. Smells of food and bottled potions promising cures for different ills, mingled with the scent of the cobbled road and the sweat coming from both merchants and buyers as they hastily went about conducting their transactions.   
  
Aiba senses were so overwhelmed that he momentarily forgot about the small squirrel hiding inside his bag. It wasn't until he heard a high-pitched shriek that he remembered about Shimuken and his insatiable curiosity...   
  
"Give me back those berries you little rodent!" The angry woman screamed, running after the squirrel as Shimuken scampered off with a few choice berries and made his way back to Aiba with much difficulty while people rushed to the stall, nearly squashing the small squirrel as they checked to see what the ruckus was all about.   
  
"Ne, Shimuken, what did I tell you about causing trouble?" Aiba lectured the squirrel as hundreds of eyes turned to stare at the tall, lanky boy and the squirrel that was perched on his hand.   
  
"Give me those." Aiba continued "Those berries aren't yours and we have to pay for them. I don't even have much money with me. I'll give you food once we reach an inn, I promise. Now, return those to me so that I can give it back to the lady." Aiba said as Shimuken reluctantly gave up his loot and squeaked in annoyance.   
  
"I'm terribly sorry about my friend, madam. It's his first time in the city, you see..." Aiba began apologetically while handing the berries back to the the furious woman.   
  
"I will not take those back!" The woman yelled, livid with rage "I won't be able to sell them, and for all I know they might already be spoilt! I demand that you pay for them. You're lucky I didn't kill your little friend over there," the woman spat out furiously.   
  
"I'm terribly sorry, ma'am." Aiba stuttered as he nervously began searching his pockets for some spare change. "How much do I owe you for those berries?"   
  
"Those were the freshest berries that my son and I picked this morning, and for that you must pay me--"    
  
"Please, pardon my friend." A young man with wavy hair and bright, brown eyes dressed in a monk's robe interrupted the merchant as she was about to name her price, "He's new to the city, you see and I'm afraid he doesn't know what he's done. I can assure you, he didn't mean any harm." The kind young man continued calmly in a deep and soothing voice, "if it will appease you, I shall pay for those berries that his pet snuck away from your stall."   
  
"Oh, no sir. That wouldn't be necessary." The woman replied, blushing in embarrassment for her earlier outburst, "in fact, I insist that they take it home as a gift."   
  
"Oh, but that would be unfair to you," replied the young man "at least let me leave a few copper pennies as payment." The young monk replied as he placed a few coins in the woman's hand and gently pulled a very stunned Aiba away from the gaping crowd.   
  
"Thank you! Thank you very much!" Aiba exclaimed as soon as they were out of earshot from the nosy mob, looking more apologetic and guiltier than he was a few moments ago, "You know I really don't have much money with me, so I don't know how to repay you. I'm very sorry for all the trouble I've caused. Shimuken really didn't mean to upset the old lady, he's just a very curious squirrel and it's his first time in the city too." Aiba blabbered on nervously, afraid that he had gotten himself into deeper trouble.    
  
"It's perfectly okay," the young monk replied,  "I know it's not your fault, and it was unfair of the old woman to humiliate you and demand payment from you that way. I just felt like I needed to help you." The young monk smiled, handing the berries to Aiba.   
  
"Please, keep them. You paid for them after all" Aiba said, refusing the berries that were handed to him.   
  
"No, they're yours. I insist. Consider it as a gift from me."   
  
" Really? Thank you very much! You're really a very kind person!!" Aiba replied, embracing the young monk in his relief and gratitude.   
  
"It was nothing..." The young monk replied, awkwardly returning the embrace. "I'm only too happy I could help you. What's your name? It does look like you are new to the place. Where are you going?"   
  
"My name is Aiba and this here," Aiba said, pointing to the ball of fur perched on his shoulders, "is Shimuken. He's my friend and he's a little too naughty at times."   
  
*SQUEAK!*   
  
"You are too. If you don't behave, I'm taking you back to the forest!"    
  
The young monk watched, amused as Aiba continued to argue with the little squirrel.   
  
"Well, good evening Aiba, my name is Sho and I live with the monks in the temple. So, where are you headed? Maybe I can take you there."   
  
"Oh right! I'm supposed to go to the castle. I have this scroll with me, you see, and I'm supposed to learn magic at the castle. Wanna see?" Aiba replied, digging into his bag for the crumpled piece of parchment that outlined his agreement with the king.   
  
"Oh, it's okay. There's no need for that." Sho replied "The temple is quite near the castle and I happen to be headed home. Would you like to come with me?"   
  
"Oh, yes. That would be great!" Aiba exclaimed.   
  
"Let's be on our way then. If you're hungry, you could come and eat with us at the temple... unless of course, you're required to see the king at once."    
  
"Oh, no. I'm not required to see the king yet. I'm supposed to go there tomorrow morning. I was actually planning to stay at an inn tonight."   
  
"I guess you could stay with us for the night then, that way you won't have to walk too far to get to the castle." Sho replied as they began heading towards the temple, with Aiba happily filling him in with stories about his home in the hills and his animal friends.    
  
The boys reached the temple, tired but happy, each having made a new friend. Aiba was warmly welcomed by the kind monks that Sho called family, and provided him and his little squirrel friend, with food and lodgings for the night. Tomorrow, Aiba will be meeting the head wizard and he was both a little scared and a little excited of the things that might happen...


	10. An Important Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sho and Aiba make it into the castle

The day began bright and early for Aiba who always rose on the rooster's first crow.  Aiba opened his eyes and experimentally stretched long, slender arms over his head as he yawned widely. Deciding that it was still too cold to get up, Aiba turned to his side and tucked both arms back under the blanket.  On the bed beside his, Sho slumbered --his closed eyes peeped from under a nest of unruly hair that was covered by a thick woolen blanket pulled all the way up to his chin. Sho's long limbs tried to squeeze themselves under the rectangular cloth which had grown an inch too short and showed the tips of his toes  from underneath. A soft grunt and a few incoherent mumbles later, Sho turned and swung a long leg that landed on a big fluffy pillow which his frail, lanky arms snuggled closer. Aiba watched entranced, mentally debating if he should rouse the sleeping boy, or if he should just sit still and watch the steady rise and fall of Sho's chest as he lay peacefully in his sleep.  As the morning sun slowly crept up the sky, its amber light was filtered through the stained glass windows and illuminated the small room with the soft glow of multicolored lights, caressing Sho's face and giving him the illusion of a cherub in sleep.   
  
From inside Aiba's bag, the little squirrel stirred, dislodging leaves and fragments of half nibbled nuts and fruits as he climbed out of the bag's pocket. Shimuken groggily groomed himself, running his small paws through his disheveled fur and combing it into a neat, shiny coat before scampering on to Aiba's blanket-covered legs. Shimuken was mildly intrigued by how Aiba didn't seem to notice his presence. As he went closer and looked at Aiba's face, he noticed that Aiba's eyes were transfixed on the face of the boy that lay sleeping on the bed opposite his. With a knowing smirk, (as much as squirrels can smirk...) Shimuken made his way up to  Aiba's shoulder and tugged on Aiba's earlobe with one tiny paw.    
  
"Waah!" Aiba exclaimed, the spell suddenly broken   
  
*Squeak*   
  
"Ehh.. oh, good morning, Shimuken. You surprised me!"    
  
"mmff... berries..." Sho stirred, mumbling in his sleep...   
  
"Look what you made me do! I could have woken him up!" Aiba said in an exaggerated whisper.   
  
*Squeak* ( _you like him, don't you? You've been staring at him for a while..._ )   
  
"Well, Yes. He's a really nice person and he looks cute, he reminds me of a little hamster with very messy fur... Kind of like you, when you've just woken up" Aiba replied smiling unconsciously, his eyes never leaving Sho.   
  
*Squeak* ( _are you going to marry him?_ )   
  
"Marry?! No, what are you talking about?!" Aiba stammered, blushing "I just think he's a very good person!"   
  
Shimuken paused for a while, looking at Aiba's flustered face and then with a knowing squeak, told Aiba that he'd be going back to his small pocket to eat a good breakfast of nuts and berries...    
  
Minutes later, the temple's bell tolled, waking up the little city, signaling the start of a new day, and the time to start the morning prayers for the temple's inhabitants. Sho, as if by clockwork, opened a pair of bleary eyes upon the bell's 5th toll. A hand went up to rub his eyes, while the other was stretched out  over his head.  The tips of his toes curled as he stretched long legs and arched his back, groaning loudly, while the rest of his limbs settled down once more as his mind slowly caught up with the rest of his body. To Sho's left were a pair of bright and eager eyes staring at him...  _what was his name? Oh, right Aiba.._ . Sho's fuzzy mind was slowly piecing things together,  _he's kind of cute..._   
  
"Good Morning!"  came Aiba's cheerful greeting.   
  
"Good Morning, Aiba" Sho replied amiably as he pushed himself up with his lanky arms and got off the bed, one leg after another.    
  
"Where are we going?" Aiba asked, getting out of his own bed and following Sho who was mechanically maneuvering his way towards the washroom, his brown robe in hand.   
  
"Ohh... um. I guess you don't have to join us if you don't want to, but every morning we start our day with prayers. After that we'll prepare food for breakfast. You can go back to sleep if you want to." Sho said.   
  
"That's perfectly okay." Said Aiba "I've been awake for some time now. I was just waiting for you to get up... What are morning prayers like? Can I join?"    
  
"Well... um. It's a quiet time where each of us prays and thanks the goddess for her blessings. Our head priest leads the prayers and we usually follow his lead"   
  
"Oh. Well, we pray too. So I guess I can join."   
  
"Sure, you can pray your own way if you want."   
  
"Um. Sho...Well make breakfast after prayers, right?"   
  
"Of course."   
  
"Yay! I'll make breakfast too! I'm quite good at cooking!"    
  
"That's great! It's my turn to cook today and I could use a helping hand" Sho smiled, as they both made for the washroom and prepared themselves.   
  
With their morning rituals out of the way, Aiba made his way to the prayer room alongside Sho, who now donned his usual brown caftan. It was Aiba's first time in a temple, and his first time to participate in such a solemn ritual. The prayer room glowed with the soft, yellowish light of the candles, while  the heady smell of jasmine-scented incense permeated the air as the head priest recited the sacred words to honor the goddess and give thanks for her blessings. With his head bowed in reverence, like the other monks who knelt beside him, Aiba prayed for the health and the safety of his family, and sent his deepest thanks to the goddess for the blessings he received, and most importantly, for leading him to a person as kind as Sho. A few minutes later, the head priest rang his small bell three times, signaling the end of prayers. Each monk turned to the person beside him and fondly exchanged morning greetings with one another. True to his promise, Aiba went with Sho to the kitchen where Sho laid out the ingredients for the morning's feast.   
  
"Wow. You cook this much everyday? There seems to be a lot, even for the number of monks here" Aiba asked, eyeing all the ingredients laid out before him   
  
"Well, not everyday. We each take turns at cooking... I don't normally need to cook this much, but today's a special day, it's not everyday we have a guest you know." Sho smiled at Aiba, tying the apron strings around his waist.   
  
"You mean, me??" Aiba asked, incredulous "That's too much! I mean, you didn't need to! I'm only---"   
  
"It's okay, we do it every time we have a guest. You are no exception. Besides, you're helping me prepare these." Sho once more smiled reassuringly at Aiba who was busy fumbling about with his own apron strings.   
  
"Well, if you put it that way, then I guess it's okay." Aiba replied a bit uncertainly, as he started peeling some carrots...   
  
The two hours in the kitchen passed by easily, with both boys learning more about each other as they exchanged more stories and misadventures while they busily cooked breakfast.  Aiba learned that Sho had been orphaned at a  very young age. The monks told him that he had been found inside a basket, on a cold autumn night, wrapped tightly in a white blanket with only a few clothes and a stuffed doll to his name. His blanket, which he still kept beside him when he slept, had his name embroidered in blue and gold threads;  his stuffed doll, which resembled a small cat, had been patched and stitched so many times that it was virtually unrecognizable. Sho still kept his small toy inside his closet, buried under his clothes which hid a secret compartment that had his baby clothes and the basket that he had been found in. Sho admitted, that at times, it saddened him to know that he had been left behind, and from time to time, he would still wonder why his parents had chosen to abandon him. Still, he was grateful to the monks who had been kind enough to raise him as though he was their own son.   
  
Aiba also learned, that like him, Sho had an unusual gift. Sho's hands were always pleasantly warm. If Aiba were to describe it, he would probably tell you that Sho's hands were like hot chocolate on a cold winter's night. It was a comforting kind of warmth that healed, in more ways than one. Aiba discovered this the moment he had accidentally cut his finger while slicing the onions that would go into the broth. The knife had been quite sharp, and the cut had been painless, but deep. Aiba panicked as his finger started dripping blood all over the floor and stuttered apologies for his clumsiness as he tried looking for anything that would stop its flow. Sho, however, asked him to calm down and went on to rinse his finger with some clean water. After tearing out a scrap of cloth from his robes, Sho wrapped it around Aiba's finger and held it tightly...   
  
"Aiba.." Sho whispered "Don't be afraid, okay... "   
  
Aiba could only give a puzzled look in return...   
  
Sho closed his eyes, and little by little, Aiba felt the heat seep through the makeshift bandage that Sho wrapped around his finger. After a few minutes the bleeding stopped, and Sho unwrapped the blood-soaked bandage to reveal Aiba's finger, unblemished, as though it had never been cut. Sho stood back and looked at him with uncertain eyes as though he were expecting Aiba to run screaming, or reject their newfound friendship at any moment. Aiba, in the meantime, examined his finger, and gasped in awe: Despite the deep cut, not even the tiniest scratch remained to indicate that there had been a wound at all.   
  
"Wow... You're amazing! Thank you!" Aiba exclaimed, still quite mesmerized with his finger, "I wish I had a useful talent like yours!"    
  
"Oh... um. Thanks, I guess" Sho replied, greatly relieved that Aiba didn't run away, or scream like the others did, the first time he revealed his powers.   
  
"You really are a good person!" Aiba looked up and smiled at Sho, pulling him in once more for a very tight  hug, which Sho wholeheartedly returned.    
  
Over breakfast, Aiba also learned that Sho visits the city once a week to help those who need healing and could not afford a doctor or the medication to cure their ills. Sho, it seemed, had rather mixed emotions about his abilities. On the one hand, he was very happy that he could help people in need, but on the other, he felt like he was being used, especially when the people he healed left with hardly a word of thanks or a show of gratitude; there were also those who called him a freak behind his back. Sho, on the other hand, learned that Aiba could be distracted by almost anything, and that he had an uncanny ability to bounce back from almost any disappointment thrown his way. Aiba's ability with animals also made for reliable weather prediction.   
  
****   
  
Aiba and Sho walked together towards the big castle, under the clear blue sky, amongst the vast meadows and fields of flowers. Sho, like Aiba, had also received a summons from the King and was also supposed to be in the castle on the same day. As they approached the gates, the guards requested to see the parchment containing the King's message, which Sho and Aiba readily showed (although Aiba's invitation was horribly rumpled due to the careless way he had crammed it into his bag...) Once past the gates, they were led to a large room with a large table. The room had several shelves of tomes, and was surrounded different paintings that lined the walls.  Around the table,  three other people sat.  On the farthest corner to the left  was a boy who had wavy jet black hair neatly combed and tucked behind his ears.  The boy wore a sullen expression, but seemed anxious for some reason. His brows were furrowed, wrinkling his pretty face while he sat hugging both knees to his chest, as though he wanted to shrink away from the world. In the middle was a boy who sat with head slightly tilted to the right;  his shoulders were slouched and both of his hands laid upon his lap. The boy emitted an aura of calmness with his relaxed composure and his eyes which stared vacantly into space.  Finally, to the right was a young boy, who seemed bored and annoyed; his fingers drummed anxiously on the table, as though he couldn't wait for the whole affair to be done and over with.    
  
Sho recognized the fidgety young boy to be the prince. His name was Nino and he was rumored to possess powers which surpassed the king's own. He had a sister named Yuki who was equally powerful and was chosen by the key of time to be its rightful wielder. Sho and Aiba made their way to the table. Sho sat beside Aiba who chose to take his place beside the sullen boy who refused to make eye contact even as Aiba cheerily greeted him good morning.   
  
"Ne, what's your name? I'm Aiba. This is my friend Sho, he's really amazing, he hea-- mmph!"   
  
"Aiba, keep quiet for now, okay? I don't think he wants to talk." Sho said, covering Aiba's mouth with his hand. " I'm sorry about my friend, he's really very excitable." Sho explained...   
  
"Jun."   
  
"Eh?"   
  
"My name is Jun" the young boy whispered, looking up...


	11. Movement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The five meet each other for the first time

"My name is Jun."  The pale raven-haired boy spoke, in a voice, only slightly more audible than a whisper.    
  
"Good Morning Jun! I'm Aiba"  the energetic young blond gleefully replied, extending a hand in friendship.    
  
Jun nodded his acknowledgment, yet refused to hold out his hand in acceptance; opting instead, to hug his knees closer to himself, while cautious, jet-black eyes intently studied Aiba's face...    
  
"Jun... Are you okay?" Sho intervened; concern painted across his features, as he stepped in front of Aiba and tried to place his palm on Jun's forehead to feel for signs of fever.     
  
"Don't touch me, I'm okay!" Jun suddenly exclaimed, swatting Sho's hand away.   
  
"I'm sorry." Said Sho, taken aback by Jun's violent reaction, "I was only trying to help."   
  
"S-sorry" Jun replied, breathless. His brow wrinkled as he fought to remain focused and upright. After taking a few deep breaths to compose himself, Jun whispered,  "It's... I-I can't control it yet." He tried to suppress a shudder that shook his small frame, and his hands went up to hold his head still while his fingers began to massage his temples in an attempt to ease the pain. Up-close, Sho could see that Jun's skin was covered with a thin veil of sweat; the dark circles under his eyes were made more pronounced by his wan complexion, and his lips were tinged with a bluish hue.  Jun  seemed like he was about  to throw up or pass out at any second and was only barely holding himself up. It was obvious to Sho that Jun was in immense pain, yet he would rather endure the torture than give in to the sweet peace that oblivion offered. Sho was concerned that Jun was refusing help and was slightly irked that the others seemed oblivious to his suffering...   
  
"Are you going to turn into a monster?" Aiba suddenly asked, shooting a puzzled glance towards Jun, "My cousin's a werewolf and he looks like that once a month. Is it the full moon yet?"   
  
"N-no." Jun replied;  the tiniest hint of a smile grazing his features, " I'm an Empath"   
  
"Oh." Sho replied, finally making sense of things, "That must mean that your powers are very strong, else you wouldn't be having that terrible migraine... "   
  
"What's an empath? What's happening to Jun?" Aiba interrupted.   
  
" An empath can sense what others feel. " Sho explained, "If he wants to, he could also influence their thoughts and feelings. I don't think that it makes Jun sick, but if he picks up a lot of other people's feelings all at the same time, I think it kind of gives him a really bad headache."   
  
"Ohh." Aiba said as he looked at Jun, who weakly nodded in reply. "Well, you should let Sho heal you. He's really good!"   
  
"I know that I can't block off everything that you're picking up, but I'm sure I can at least remove your headache-- that is, if you trust me enough. " Sho said, squatting down to meet Jun's eyes and waiting for some sign of approval.   
  
"Thanks," Jun replied, "I normally use a spell to block some of it off, but I think this place is somehow warded from certain types of spells. It seems to work outside these walls, but in here, I can't stop anything from coming in."   
  
"So, does this mean yes?" Sho asked.   
  
"I don't sense any malice coming from you." Jun, in his desperation, acquiesced,  "I just hope that your magic works here."   
  
"Okay then..." Sho stood up and pressed a palm against Jun's forehead.    
  
As soon as he had touched Jun, a comforting warmth seeped through his hands. The violent assault of a million nameless thoughts and emotions gradually hushed down to a distant, blurred background noise that Jun was able to ignore with ease. The tightly wound knots throbbing in his head gently untangled themselves and the sharp pain in his temples had gone. Jun was at peace; he felt as though he was floating aimlessly upon calm shores on a clear and sunny day. His tense shoulders drooped, and his breathing, which had been shallow and erratic, slowed down to an even and steady rhythm. Warmth brought a slight blush back to his cheeks, and his lips, which were tinged with blue moments ago, were now a healthy shade of pink.   
  
Jun's eyes slid shut as he further relaxed and submitted himself to Sho's treatment. Unintentionally, he found himself probing Sho's psyche.  Jun saw a mix of various hues and colors, much like most of the other people he had probed. Some had as much darkness as they did light, and most usually fought to contain the dark, while a few sinister ones, had terrifyingly chosen to embrace it. Jun found plenty of pain and sadness which stemmed from a deep sense of abandonment and longing, and though he could not probe memories, nor put into words what had happened, he knew that something tragic took place. He also knew, however,  that Sho was able to find the love and the sense of belonging which enabled him to reach some kind of peace within himself, and kept his inner turmoil from consuming him.    
  
Jun felt energized and refreshed when Sho finally removed his hands.The pain had completely subsided, and in his calmness, Jun's mind regained its sharpness. He was now able to distinguish the myriad sensations that floated about him; it no longer assaulted him chaotically as it had, once the effects of his spell were worn down by the palace walls. As Jun looked up , Sho and Aiba were finally able to see his face in full view. Jun was beautiful. His fair skin and his raven hair which fell in tendrils around his small  face reminded Aiba of the frail, but beautiful rose that his sister so admired, it was quite a moody plant which surrounded itself in prickly and poisonous thorns which prevented anyone from casually picking it up. It chose to talk to Aiba once in a while, but then quickly grew impatient when Aiba decided to spend more time with his animal friends instead.   
  
Aiba, tilting his head, looked at Jun and asked: "Are you okay now?"   
  
"Yes, I am. Thank you very much...." Jun replied,  "Although I'm afraid I may have pried, I'm sorry, Sho..."   
  
"Well, as long as you keep it to yourself... unless I ask, think nothing of it." Sho replied, smiling.   
  
"Hello Aiba, my name is Jun." Jun finally extended his hand to Aiba who then shook it enthusiastically. A look of understanding crossed Jun's face once he released Aiba's hand. His gaze traveled from Aiba to Sho, and a small, knowing smirk formed upon his lips, but he refused to say what it was that he found out about the two.    
  
"Pleased to meet you." Jun said, as Sho and Aiba exchanged confused looks with each other...   
  
"So let me get this straight," a fourth voice piped up from out of the blue,  "you're an empath, you're a healer and you..."   
  
"... can talk to plants and animals," Aiba replied, surprised at the sudden interruption. The three had been so wrapped up in what they were doing that they failed to notice when the other boy stood up and observed events up-close. The boy had an expression on his face that was both curious and calculating, and looked as though he were trying to fit the pieces of a puzzle together.   
  
"Your highness, I'm sorry. We didn't mean to--" Sho began to stutter apologies, but the prince interrupted.   
  
"It's okay. You can call me Nino, I could really do without the formalities." Nino replied. "None of the others here know I'm the prince, and you're wearing the brown robe that the monks do. Have you been here before? I don't seem to remember you."   
  
"Ah yes, your high-- I mean, Nino. I've been to the palace several times and I've been called once to heal the princess"    
  
"Oh! So, you're the one!" Nino exclaimed "Well, you all seem to know my name now. I'd like to know yours, and none of this 'your highness' stuff"   
  
"Um... okay. My name is Sho Sakurai, my friends call me Sho"   
  
"You can call me Aiba"   
  
"My name is Jun"   
  
" Who's he?" Aiba pointed to the quiet boy whose unfocused gaze gently shifted to the noisy group beside him.   
  
"I don't know, he just got here too." Nino replied   
  
"Does he talk?" Aiba asked, earning him a light smack on the head from Jun.   
  
"Ow! I was just asking. He's so quiet!"   
  
Ohno smiled in amusement and said:  "My name is Ohno. I'm pleased to meet you..." after a while, he added:  "Your sister and your father are on their way... She's not happy about the spiders you put in her drawer..."   
  
"What?! How did you know?! What's she going to do next?"    
  
Ohno frowned, a grim look crossing his face, "Not good news..."   
  
However, before they could question Ohno any further, they were interrupted by the sound of footsteps approaching the room. Each boy scampered back to their former places around the table, as moments later, a tall well-built man entered, accompanied by a young woman and the head wizard. The King looked to be in his early 50s; hints of his age showed through the salt and pepper hair peeking from under his heavy crown, set with rubies and emeralds. The young woman beside the King was tall and slender. She had black hair that reached her waist and piercing gray eyes set on a small, kittenish face. She wore a white gown and held an ornate silver staff. The head wizard in his midnight blue robes trailed behind them; he carried a black staff, and on his other hand was a thick book bound in black leather which had various runes and symbols etched on its cover.    
  
The playful atmosphere of the place had been replaced with an air of seriousness as the King, the princess and the head wizard took their places around the table. Their faces were humorless, and Jun could already sense the bad news waiting to come out, as a mixture of barely contained anxiety and grim determination filled the air. Ohno was right; it was not good news...


	12. Premonitions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What the bad news what about...

"Good Morning." The King began, smiling faintly beneath the worried lines that crossed his face. "I trust that you boys already know each other, and I believe that I need no further introduction. Just to humor tradition, however, why don't we each introduce ourselves formally? Let me begin by introducing myself: I am the King and the ruler of these lands. Beside me is my daughter Yuki, and to my left is the Head Wizard Eriol. I believe you've already met my son, Nino. So, with that out of the way, I suggest we begin with you, young monk..."   
  
Sho courteously bowed as he introduced himself to the King, who graciously offered his thanks for the time that he visited the palace to perform a small miracle on Yuki; next was Aiba, who nearly fell over as he bowed and nervously stumbled on his words as he spoke. Aiba had enough trouble keeping still as it was his first time to be faced with royalty. There were so many questions he would have liked to ask the King, among them, for instance, was about how the King knew of his brother and why he spoke rather fondly of him; another was about how the King knew of his abilities and had even jokingly asked Aiba to tell the pigeons to stop using the monuments as a toilet. Next in line was Jun who stood regally as though he were a prince himself, and bowed his head towards the King while saying his name. The King gave Jun a sincere apology, as he had forgotten to warn him about the wards and the barriers that surrounded the study, which Jun accepted humbly. It was revealed later on to Sho and Aiba, that Jun's father, with whom he shared the same abilities, was one of the King's chief advisors and was often with the King whenever he negotiated or met with other leaders.  Empaths, apparently, were held in high regard within the kingdom, but their identities were kept secret, as they were sometimes used as spies to weed out those who harbored ill intent towards the King. With the three boys done introducing themselves; all eyes turned to Ohno who stood up and straightened his powder-blue robes as he prepared to speak. Ohno bowed deeply, averting his eyes from the King, and nearly everyone in the room. His laid back demeanor, Jun noted, had disappeared and was replaced with a worried, and somewhat hurt expression. Ohno's brows were furrowed and his eyes were cast downward with a small pout tugging at the corners of his lips. Intrigued, Jun scanned Ohno's emotions and was perplexed to find regret and self-blame mixed in with a barely contained panic that was threatening to spill over.  Jun quickly pulled out of Ohno's mind before he got sucked into the swirl of confusing emotions and with some effort, refocused his attention on the King.    
  
"Ohno, don't look so sad." The King said, but without much conviction.    
  
The King faced the five boys and then turned to look at his daughter who seemed impatient to know what the urgency was all about: She had stormed out of her room earlier, determined to give her younger brother a good whack on the head when she found several arachnids set loose in her drawers. The impertinent brat had been at it for days ever since she replaced his magic wand with a spelled candy cane and turned all his pet turtles into snails, as revenge for destroying a painting of her favorite prince: the twirly mustache had been hand drawn with indelible ink and she simply could not understand why her brother felt the need to add kitten ears to the picture in addition to placing blobs of ink over his nostrils. It was simply too much for the young princess to see the face of her favorite idol defaced, and so, staff in hand, she set out to find Nino and maybe turn him into a slug if he ran too fast for her to hit. As soon as she had set foot in the garden however, her father and Eriol had called her to come with them to the study to discuss pressing matters...    
  
"Yuki, calm down." The King gently placed a hand on Yuki's shoulder. "You may continue to play games with your brother after this meeting, if you wish."   
  
"Yes, father" Yuki conceded, but not before shooting a dirty glance at her brother who was currently sticking his tongue out at her.   
  
"Ohno, why do you look so sad?" Aiba asked the somber young boy, not quite aware that he was speaking out of turn. Ohno, meanwhile, merely sat in silence, preferring to study the floor instead.   
  
"Well, Aiba, that's part of the reason why we're here." replied Eriol, who found Aiba's naïveté refreshing amid the gloomy atmosphere.   
  
"Why, did he do--mmph!" Aiba's words were cut short as Sho once more covered Aiba's mouth with his hand. The king managed a small chuckle as Sho finally released Aiba and both boys settled down their chairs.   
  
"Um, sorry about that, your majesty." Aiba apologized, scratching his head.   
  
"It's perfectly all right..." The King sighed, his face as sad as Ohno's, " I wish I could tell you that I have good news and that all is well. Unfortunately, that's not the case...You see, Aiba, Ohno comes from a family of seers, and seers, as you may already know, can predict the future, or all the possible futures, at times."   
  
"And the future is bad... isn't it?" said Sho   
  
"... or all the possible futures" added Jun.   
  
"Ohno's family has stopped receiving visions." The King replied "Which means..."   
  
"...which means that there isn't one." Nino finished, suddenly struck by the gravity of the situation.   
  
"We have seen just one..." Ohno's small voice piped up. His eyes were cast downwards while his hands fidgeted with his robes as he continued, "we saw nothing more after that."    
  
The room remained silent as they waited for Ohno to continue, none of them certain that they wanted to hear what would happen next.   
  
Eriol spoke softly, cutting through the thick silence that weighed heavily upon the room,  "I believe I should explain." He started, uncertain of where to begin himself,  " You have been called here because you are the last of your kind. Call it natural selection if you will, but the truth is, since Jun's birth there haven't been any more children gifted with magical abilities. The result is that you either have too much magic running through your veins, or too little of it... Not that it matters at this point, I guess. But if you'll notice, there's less of everything..."   
  
Eriol, taking a deep breath, babbled on nervously,  "The harvest has grown scant in some areas, while streams and rivers have dried up in several places. It's as if the planet itself is running out of resources, although on the other hand, it's true that some of these may be due to the misuse of resources, but I'm digressing... I have here, one of many books that Ohno's ancestors have written to chronicle their visions. There are volumes of these in this study, and  I've been keeping track of the prophecies that have come true over the years. Most of it was quite accurate, while a few have turned out differently. The omens as of late, however, point to an end...which..." Eriol trailed off, unable to continue, as he sought the right words to soften the blow of the bad news he was about to impart.     
  
"Which is what Ohno and his family have seen..." Jun mumbled mostly to himself, unaware that the rest of the room had heard him. He unconsciously brought both knees up to his chest and held them close to himself, nearly resuming the pose he had before Aiba and Sho had entered the room; Though the reality of the situation hadn't yet sunk in, he was starting to feel the rising terror and panic around him, some of which, he suspects, had probably come from himself.   
  
An uneasy silence once more suffocated the small room, until Aiba broke out in panic...   
  
"Wait! What do we do? Do you think we can stop this? What did Ohno see?!"    
  
"If there's nothing that can be done... what do you want us to do?" Sho asked, mildly alarmed, yet more disbelieving than he was troubled. Three or four voices spoke out all at once, each one panicked and demanding, as  Eriol and the King tried their best to contain the situation.    
  
Out of the blue, Yuki spoke:   
  
"It's me... isn't it?" Yuki's voice trembled, "It's the staff. It answers to me. I-I have to use it, don't I?"    
  
"Don't be stupid!" Nino exclaimed "You can't, you shouldn't!"    
  
"But the staff answers to me, I can turn back time... I am its rightful owner." Yuki answered, delirious and mostly talking to herself; Her fingernails digging deep into her frail arms, causing blood to come out of the small crescent-shaped wounds as she tried to stop herself from trembling.   
  
"And then what? It'll end, anyway and you don't know what will happen if you use that thing!" Nino shouted, trying to force some sense into his crazed sister.   
  
"But what will we do?" Yuki whispered, tears finally streaming down her cheeks as her father pulled her in to a tight embrace...


	13. Yuki's Diary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jumping back to the present... What Nino found inside Yuki's journal

Nino warily eyed the book as though it were a monster that had crawled out from under his bed. The book, thrown across the floor in his panic, lay innocently on its spine and was opened at a random page. On the cracked parchment, glyphs glimmered red and danced across the pages, forming themselves into indecipherable words and sentences, only to split up into individual glyphs and return into its crazed dance once more. Nino's original plan of keeping his sanity in check, by dealing with this mystery one step at a time, had been rudely kicked aside by this dusty, ancient tome which seemed to mock him with its cryptic, animated symbols.    
  
Nino suppressed the urge to run screaming, or cry while bashing his head on the wall, as he anxiously paced the room, circling the small area where the book lay. He knew fairly well that he should pick up the book, but he was having second thoughts, as he equated the acceptance of its presence with a complete descent into lunacy. Every memory, from his first encounter with Yuki and her strange little shop, up to the small exchange with Jun a few hours earlier, came rushing back to his consciousness like a tidal wave which left him scared and utterly frustrated at his inability to solve the puzzle. Deciding to be brave, Nino dove headfirst into this perceived craziness as he tentatively approached the book and carefully picked it up as though it were a wild animal that would claw his eyes out at any second. With cold, clammy hands and trembling fingers, he temporarily halted the chaotic dance of the symbols as he closed the book shut.    
  
_"One step at a time, Nino. One step at a time... even if its baby steps..._ " he told himself, as he laid the leather bound book on his bed, and released the breath he didn't know he'd been holding all this time. It was going to be a long night, and as much as he wanted to mull things over or sleep on it, circumstances were forcing him to confront his problems now.    
  
" _I think I'll brew myself some tea first..._ " Nino thought as he stood up and headed to the kitchen, half hoping that the book would somehow disappear upon his return. Once in the kitchen, Nino took determined steps to diffuse his anxiety by focusing on the task at hand. Breathing deeply, Nino reached for the kettle, filled it up with water and heated it over the stove. He then got a large mug, a teaspoon, and a small saucer which he laid out on his small table and finally reached for the jar of tea leaves in his cupboard. As he waited for the water to boil, he sat down on the kitchen stool and propped his elbows upon the small table. Massaging his temples, Nino quickly ran through the night's events before the discovery of the book which had been mysteriously placed in his bag...    
  
_Yuki sent me for groceries because Sho was going to arrive, then I helped Pierre out with the dolls, and somehow, had gotten carried away with Ohno (although I don't know why I seem to have a soft spot for... well, he's not a doll, according to Jun...) Sho arrived; the dolls, (or whatever they are,) were all talking at the same time, and Sho looked like he could hear them too. Then, Yuki and Sho went on a bathroom break; I told the dolls to keep quiet for Sho's sake... Yuki took an abnormally long time for someone who was just powdering her nose ...Then dinner ended and Sho promised to come back after three days, Yuki retired to bed early and Jun said that they weren't dolls; Ohno made me go home; I made them watch cartoons; Pierre called me a cab and I unpacked my things and the stupid book... Yuki. Maybe Yuki placed the book in my bag..._   
  
Nino was slowly forming conclusions in his mind as he struggled to fit the pieces of the puzzle together. Meanwhile, his thoughts were interrupted by the shrill whistling of the kettle, telling him that the water had already come to a boil. Removing the kettle from the stove, Nino waited a few minutes for the water to cool down until the temperature was warm enough to steep the tea in, but not so hot that it would cook the leaves. Nino scooped two teaspoons of the leaves into his mug and poured the warm water over the leaves, waiting for 20 seconds before pouring out the water and then refilling his cup. With the tea prepared, Nino went for a short trip into his bedroom to retrieve a pencil and a notepad, and remembering the crepes, brought them into the kitchen as well. He noted, rather disappointedly, that the book was still there lying undisturbed on his bed. In between sips and forkfuls of pastry, Nino jotted down random details which he considered significant, and little by little, he was beginning to see the outline of a bigger picture which left him with more questions to ask, and more blank spaces to fill.    
  
As the night wore on, Nino's list grew. By the time Nino had finished his second mug of tea, the notepad already had three pages full of scribbled questions, random names, underlined words, and erasures. It was already four in the morning and the three hours that Nino spent scribbling inside his small kitchen had not gotten him quite far.  His notes told him the few things he already knew: The dolls... aren't dolls; He and Sho were connected to Aiba, Jun, Yuki, and Ohno; He's supposed to make the dolls move, or at least he and Sho were; Yuki could not hear the dolls; He probably wasn't delirious with fever when he saw the door and the big house on the other side. And Ohno... what was it about Ohno? Nino released a long drawn sigh as he steeled himself to try and decode the book which lay waiting in his room.  After washing his mug, Nino went to his room and opened the small lamp next to his bed. Sitting cross legged on his bed's lumpy mattress, Nino held the black book tightly in his hands, pausing for a few deep breaths as he mentally prepared himself to see the frenzied movements of the glyphs before opening it.    
  
" _One, two, and three... here we go.._ ."   
  
Nino lifted the cover and turned to the first page. The moving glyphs still scared and fascinated him, but to his relief, it didn’t do anything more than harmlessly dance on the pages.  A few minutes passed until Nino was calm enough to look at the glyphs and try to make out what they meant; he spent a few more minutes staring at the book as though he were expecting it to give him some answers. Until it became apparent that merely clearing his mind would not do the trick, Nino looked through his list to see if it would give him some answers. On the first page, Nino had scribbled the word "door" in his scrawly penmanship, and next to it were the words" Yuki," "chanting," "key," and "staff." Nino finally thought he was getting somewhere, as his earlier fear was slowly being replaced by his gamer's instincts to strategize and solve puzzles. Nino wasn't sure if he needed a staff, but he was fairly certain he didn't need a key because the book could be closed or opened freely.    
  
_the chanting, however..._   
  
Nino tried his best to remember the words that Yuki whispered into the door on that dark and fateful night, and though his mind had been niggling at it for quite some time, he was unable to find the words that might unlock the spell and still the moving glyphs. The book needed a command, a password if you will, in order for it to be read; although he was uncertain if knowing the words to unlock the book's contents would magically make him able to read the symbols. Nino only vaguely remembered that the words were whispered in a foreign tongue which eerily seemed familiar, but frustratingly out of his reach.   
  
_Yuki... now I'm sure that Yuki put this here. Come to think of it, who is Yuki, exactly?  The staff is something I might not need because it's not with me..._ _Or did she choose not to put it there so I'd come back to ask it from her?_   
  
The grayish twilight of the dawn had already turned into the bright yellow of the morning sun while Nino further pondered his relationship with Yuki and the dolls. The green numbers of his digital alarm clock told him that it was already 6 in the morning and his body told him that he should be getting some sleep. Satisfied with what little he knew (for now,) Nino decided to give in to sleep and have a quick nap before going back to the shop to ask for answers. Turning the small lamp off, and dropping his things to the floor, Nino stretched his limbs and bonelessly plopped down on his bed, not bothering to brush his teeth or change his clothes, as he closed his eyes and his exhausted body caught up on some much needed rest.    
  
As he slept, Nino entered a strange, but very vivid dream of Yuki holding a fashion show. Jun sashayed down the catwalk wearing a frilly dress shirt and glittery barrettes, glaring fiercely at the audience, as he turned and stomped all the way back to the stage. Aiba came in next, dressed in green leggings as some grown up version of Peter Pan, complete with a pointy hat, but instead of Tinkerbelle, a small squirrel sat on his shoulder nibbling a walnut. Sho followed wearing a smart, grey Armani suit and polished shoes, although strangely, he was wearing a worn out, brown caftan over his suit and had a stethoscope draped around his neck. Ohno was the last to walk out, looking like a swami with his white robes and a powder blue turban bunched up comically around his head, he even carried a crystal ball to complete his costume. Ohno, however, instead of going back behind the stage like the others did, plopped down on his lap, threw the crystal ball aside and started making out with him. Yuki, dressed in silvery, white robes stalked over to where they were and hit Nino on the head with her staff. Yuki was indignant and angry as she reprimanded them for ruining her fashion show. Although Yuki spoke in a strange language, Nino perfectly understood what she meant and even managed a retort in the same tongue...   
  
Nino woke up with the words "idiot little brother" ringing in his ears. He was convinced that this was the language that had eluded him for so long and he was growing more and more frustrated as the fragments of his strange dream were being quickly drowned out by his conscious mind. The clock read 10 AM. It was a warm and sunny Saturday morning and he was only able to manage four hours of sleep. Nino grumpily crawled out of bed, thinking that he probably won't be able to get more sleep even if he tried, and went on to straighten out his messy room. After taking a shower, he cooked himself a small breakfast and had a mug of strong coffee before brushing his teeth and heading out to the boutique. The "dolls" were in their usual perch, staring blankly ahead at the growing crowd that wandered the streets on a Saturday morning. Thankfully, none of the dolls were wearing the weird clothes in his dream. Pierre would do no such thing even if it were Halloween, and he was quite sure that Jun would do more than just throw a hissy fit had he been able to move.   
  
Nino let himself inside and was warmly greeted by Pierre and Marguerite who were surprised that he had come in for work on a weekend after doing some overtime the night before. Nino explained that he was here to see Yuki and was only going to return something that belonged to her. Pierre then went up to call Yuki while Nino sat on the sofa as he waited impatiently. Yuki arrived, dressed casually, in a pair of bootleg jeans, a pink shirt, and a pair of sneakers with her hair pulled back in a pony. As she approached Nino, a knowing and expectant smile was drawn across her face...   
  
"Hey, Nino. You wanted to see me?"    
  
"Um, well, I..." Nino didn't quite know where to begin.    
  
"Yes?" Yuki tilted her head, her expression somewhat confused.   
  
"I think this is yours..." Nino said as he retrieved the book from his bag   
  
"I see. It is mine. Were you able to read it?" Yuki asked, an inquiring look on her face   
  
Nino, with an eyebrow raised, paused before answering "... you  _wanted_ me to read it..." then, “No, I'm afraid I wasn't able to. Kept me up all night though"   
  
"I see..."   
  
Nino was sleep deprived and very frustrated, and Yuki was choosing now, of all times, to be cryptic which annoyed him even more.    
  
"Look, I don't know what this is all about!" Nino exploded, raising his voice "At first I thought I was crazy because I kept hearing voices in my head, and then I realize that the mannequins on display aren't dolls, and they can talk, and then I---"   
  
"They can talk?? I don't hear them. Why can you?"   
  
"What??!!"   
  
"I could not hear them, but you could." Yuki patiently explained to a hysterical Nino "Look," Yuki said, "I know that you're tired and that you want answers and you don't remember even half of the things you should..."   
  
"Like what? Remember what?"   
  
"Come with me, my idiot little brother, the lobby isn't a place for things like these..."   
  
"Idiot little brother..."   
  
"Yes," Yuki smiled warmly, taking Nino by the hand as she led him, once more, to the heavy wooden door.   
  
"I believe that you know what comes next..." Yuki said looking at Nino, as the dancing red glyphs appeared on the door...


	14. The Other Side

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Behind the secret door...

Nino's incessant questioning came to an abrupt halt the moment they approached the door. Unaware, he held his breath, mesmerized by the blood red glyphs carving themselves deeply upon the pine finished wood. The foreign alphabet looped and chained words in an elaborate script; not much different from the glyphs that warded the journal away from prying eyes, but the spell that guarded the door betrayed something far more intimidating than the playful script on Yuki's journal.    
  
As Yuki began chanting, small background noises began to fade drowned out by a thick wall, invisible to the naked eye.  Each letter was etched slowly, and with much more purpose by an ancient presence that spoke through the walls, spelling out its message to its seeker.  Nino watched, his fist tightly closed, and his shoulders tense, as Yuki slipped the key into the doorknob. His eyes were trained on Yuki's hands like a hawk while his mind actively tested the accuracy of his recollections, waiting to see whether all he recalled was the result of some fever induced hallucination...   
  
_First, she places her hands on the door and she says... something... What is it?  
_   
Yuki leaned an ear against the door and whispered; her eyes closed in concentration as she quietly conversed with an unnamed being on the other side...   
  
_Why do I know what she's saying?_   
  
Nino wondered, his brows furrowed, as he stared at Yuki whose lips mouthed words onto the door. His mind registered something different from what his ears heard, and the familiarity of the spoken words stirred something inside him into waking. Had he listened closely, he would have heard an ancient voice speaking from the other side. Yuki, in a firm voice, uttered a command for the doors to open. A blinding yellow light seeped through the cracks as Yuki turned the knob and Nino watched as the door opened to reveal the very same mansion that he spent the night in while recovered from a horrible fever nearly four months past.    
  
" _Let no one else enter or disturb us_ " Yuki gave the final order as she ushered Nino in, closing the door behind her as she followed her very stunned brother inside.     
  
Nino was in a state of stupor as he looked around, gripped by the same awe and terror that claimed him when he first entered the dimensional sanctuary. The Victorian-inspired interior remained the same, and in the morning sun, the brightly-lit room looked much grander than he last remembered it. The yellow light splintered through the facets of the crystal chandelier reflected a kaleidoscope of rainbows all over the living room. It lent the place an ethereal glow as its rays landed on cream-colored satin cushions, littered lazily upon the big white sofa. Yuki held her brother by the hand and guided him down the steps to have a seat on one of the big armchairs facing the coffee table. Nino remained silent, unaware that he was tightly holding on to Yuki while his mouth opened and closed to form soundless words while his mind tried stringing incoherent thoughts into questions, not knowing where to begin or which question to ask first.   
  
 Yuki sighed, "I thought you would have gotten over the shock after my diary...Oh well..."    
  
Yuki  traced a few runes in front of Nino, whose face reminded her slightly of a goldfish with its mouth opening and closing while it circled the aquarium. A few moments later, Nino's tense shoulders drooped and his eyes grew focused on the figure in front of him waving a hand to his face. Annoyed, Nino swatted the hand away and turned to glare at Yuki, assaulting her once more with a barrage of questions.    
  
"Who are you? Why did you call me your brother just now? Where are we? And what the hell---."   
  
"My, you're such a crab, and I just stopped you from fainting!" Yuki replied, raising one perfectly groomed brow, and placing a hand on her hip as Nino tried working out why things seemed to be moving in slow motion.    
  
"Were those sedatives?"   
  
"Huh?"   
  
"Did you sedate me?"   
  
"Well, something like that... "   
  
"Oh... this place is kind of creepy, it's like there are strobe lights in the middle of the day..."   
  
"I know. I think you need to ask me a lot of things, and we don't exactly know where to begin..." Yuki sighed, "Anyway, don't blame me for the place, it was like this when I got it."   
  
"Oh, er... where are we, exactly?"   
  
"That's a long story...this is sort of a secret place that I could enter from anywhere, as long as I have the key with me."   
  
"I spent the night here when I was sick, didn't I?"   
  
"Yup... I thought that shocking you back then would somehow make you remember. I guess I was too excited about finally finding you and I forgot how sick you were... Anyhow, let's have some tea first; this is going to be a long day..."   
  
Nino nodded in agreement, trying to make himself comfortable as he curled one leg under the other. He grabbed a stray cushion and wrapped his frail arms around them, leaning comfortably onto the backrest while quietly pondering the questions through his groggy mind...   
  
Unfortunately for both of them, Yuki's plan of bringing familiar objects into Nino's possession wasn't enough to awaken his memories. Although traces of it seemed to be breaking through the surface, they were nowhere near the dramatic reawakening that Yuki had hoped for, and sadly, she only had so much time before the dimensional gates of this world permanently closed and they were trapped for the rest of their lives. It was just as well that she had saved more than enough energy for a last ditch effort to jolt her little brother back to the brat she knew and loved.    
  
Their snacks arrived courtesy of a spectre that floated towards the table; it was nearly invisible in the daylight and appeared as wisps of smoke vaguely resembling something human. It soundlessly arranged teacups and saucers on the table and then poured piping hot tea from a silver teapot, leaving a small plate of tarts and sugar cookies for them to nibble on. Nino's eyes wandered to the spectre as it floated away, carrying the empty silver tray as it vanished into another part of the house. His gaze lazily shifted focus, and landed on Yuki who sat on the chair across from him with her legs crossed. She seemed nervous as she busily nibbled on a cookie while another hand held the teacup by its ear. The air was rife with unspoken questions and sentiments, and both of them were uncertain of how to break the silence and make the other feel at ease.   
  
"Yuki..." Nino began hesitantly, head tilting to the left as he met Yuki's eyes. He inhaled deeply before he continued, “Who are you?"   
  
" I am your sister... or maybe it's more proper to say, I used to be your older sister" said Yuki, meeting Nino's gaze as she sipped on her tea, gently blowing the steam away before placing the rim of the cup on her lips.    
  
"Was I adopted, or taken away?" Nino asked, uncertain of where this conversation was headed.   
  
"You... left us... “Yuki grasped for the right words as she tried to explain, "Listen, Nino, do you believe in past lives, or reincarnation?"   
  
"Right now, I think I could believe anything. Reincarnation sounds reasonable, except that being reborn means that..."   
  
" That you have to die first, yes"   
  
"So... You mean to say that I died?"   
  
"To put it bluntly, yes, you died."   
  
"So... why do you know that I'm your brother--was your brother? If I died, and you're that young... I must've died when I was two... and..."   
  
"No, no, nothing like that..." Yuki was trying to interrupt Nino's train of thought   
  
"So that means that I died, but you never did...Are you're immortal?"   
  
"No... Not really. Besides, if I were immortal, that would make you immortal too." Yuki sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. This really was going to be a long day ..."I don't recoil from the sun and you don't see me growing fur during the full moon do you?" Yuki vainly tried to lighten the mood.   
  
Nino scratched his head, frustrated that his questions were only getting him more confused.  "Okay, um, can we just start from the very beginning? Tell me everything. I really don't know what to make of it all"   
  
"Okay... Well, to put a long story short, we were all about to die, but you and Sho insisted that we don't die, and when the three protested, you kind of froze them and both of you told me to escape with them and to leave both of you behind... to die, that is"   
  
"That just sounds bizarre, and that doesn't really answer how you found me"   
  
"Well, it has a lot to do with the key and this place, " Yuki patiently explained, "there were some places where different versions of you existed, but in those places, different versions of me and the others were there too. Here, there's only one of us."   
  
Nino scratched his head, disbelieving "I'm sorry but it sounds a bit like the movies, and I'm starting to think that I'm in one of my video games... I think I believe you; some of the things you say make sense, although I can't really explain how... I'm sorry I can't remember anything. One moment I think I'm finally making sense of things, but it all slips away as soon as I ask the next question... Are we from another planet or something?"   
  
"Don't be sorry, it's not like you did it because you hated them or anything, and no, we're not aliens, not like that anyway... You're starting to sound like Aiba"   
  
"What about the door and the book?  The glyphs, they're like spells, aren't they? I was able to understand what you were saying but I don't remember ever hearing the language before. It just made me think we're not from here"   
  
"Well, that's a bit true. However, as much as I'd like you to take your time remembering things, at the rate we're going you might not be able to recover your memory until a few years or so... and, right now, we're starting to run out of time..."   
  
"What do you mean?"   
  
"Places like these, don't exist in this world. If the magic runs out, this place won't exist; neither will I be able to perform any magic. I'll just be taking the place of the person who's supposed to be me in this world, and I'll be as ordinary as the next person around you. If... if you don't get your memories back in time, I don't know what would happen to Ohno, Aiba and Jun" Yuki exhaled shakily.   
  
Nino fell quiet for a while after hearing the hint of urgency and the desperation in Yuki's voice. His plans had changed-- what was most important right now, was getting his memories back. His questions would have to wait, or would be answered when they returned. At Yuki's mention of the dolls, he remembered Ohno in his small, quiet voice telling him to get some rest and take care of himself, the night Jun revealed that they were no ordinary mannequins. Something deep inside him wrenched at the thought of never hearing Ohno's voice again, and so, he decided that all the craziness in the world would be worth it if it meant getting Ohno back to the way he was. And because he also felt an unusual attachment to Jun and Aiba and decided that he'd save them too. With a renewed determination, Nino straightened his back and looked at his sister in the eye   
  
"So what's the plan?"   
  
"Oh, wave my hand around, say a few magic words. Turn you into a toad...." Yuki managed to smile, relieved that Nino's finally become more accepting of the situation.   
  
"No, seriously."   
  
Yuki sighed, resting her chin on her hand, happy that things were finally going her way.  "Do you remember three months ago, when you first saw us?"   
  
"Yes, it was raining. I was soaking wet and you let me in. I saw Aiba, Jun and Ohno and I thought they were real... well, I thought they were real, then I thought they were mannequins..."   
  
"You didn't remember that I used to have no idea what a television was?"   
  
"You didn't! I also thought it was weird you let your dolls watch TV... and you were talking to them too... wait, I thought you couldn't hear them?"    
  
( _And you have a mean streak too, making them do funny poses..._ )   
  
"I couldn't, but I knew they were still alive. I thought that they could probably hear me too... I arrived in this dimension, not knowing anything about it. I didn't even have any idea what a mobile phone was. All my energies were directed at looking for you or other versions of us..."   
  
"You learned everything in three months? How did you do that, and why didn't you just magic my memory back in the first place?"   
  
"Magic, much like your battery operated toys, takes energy and I also need to recharge every so often to perform even the tiniest of spells. Also, there aren't spells for every little thing... Besides, when you first came here, you were so sick and it was unfair to force things on you when you were in such a delicate state. I was hoping you'd come to remember things on your own without much help from me, by spending time with Ohno and the rest, but it didn't happen fast enough."   
  
"Ohno, huh? "   
  
"Yes, the doll that you grope the most" Yuki smirked, "don't think I don't know how you touch him..."   
  
Nino blushed a bit, recalling his recent incident with the dolls. "Ohno and I, were we...? "   
  
"Yes, and you were shameless about it too!" Yuki giggled, "Now you're remembering..."   
  
"Anyway, how do you plan to get my memories back” Nino replied, trying to change the subject    
  
"Go into your head and mess you up"   
  
"What?!"   
  
"Kidding."   
  
"Don't make jokes like that. What about Sho? Was he your boyfriend or something, because Aiba seems worked up about him too."   
  
"Sho, unfortunately, belongs to Aiba... He's just too cute though! He used to be so scrawny back then, but now he's... oh, never mind." Yuki shrugged and waved her hand dismissively.  "Anyway, I was serious about going into your head. I... borrow people's minds, if you will. I could live through all of their thoughts and their experiences without disturbing their lives. It's like I could download them into my head. That's how I was able to know everything I needed to adapt in such a short time."   
  
"I see... but how are you going to remember things that I don't?" Nino warmed his hands on the teacup as he brought it near his lips for a quick slurp.   
  
"If I wanted, or needed to, I could share my memories with you. It's going to be tiring and it requires a great amount of energy. I've been saving it up for the past months so that I could use it for this if I needed to"   
  
"What would happen if I never got my memories back?"   
  
"You will, or I'll kill you." Yuki joked,”I've done it before, so don't worry..." Yuki's nervous look returned but she quickly replaced it with a determined mask. "You have to do this. It's not just for me, but for Ohno, Jun, and Aiba too. Besides, you promised..."   
  
"Promised what?"   
  
"You promised that you'd meet us again in another life..."   
  
"So, why did I freeze the three of them?"    
  
"I don't know. You're supposed to tell me that. When I got there, they were all frozen and all you were blabbering about was how we should get out!" Yuki took a deep breath, trying to rein in her temper before she continued, "so, you owe me, and the three of them an explanation...Will you do this, please?"   
  
"O-okay" Nino nodded "Don't mess me up or anything"   
  
"Don't be silly. Now, follow me..." Yuki stood up and walked towards a long hallway with Nino trailing after her. They passed through a long corridor and several more rooms before reaching the last door in a very secluded area of the mansion. The door was painted with a dark mahogany stain and had a knocker shaped like a lion's head, carved out in silver. The room was illuminated by the soft glow of a handful of candles scattered in each corner, lighting up after a snap from Yuki's fingers. At the center of the room was an altar and an image of a Goddess dressed in white robes, her flaxen head was crowned with a wreath of violets and in her arms was an infant cradled close to her bosom. The figures were surrounded by animals big and small, watching over them as the calm lake reflected the pale, silvery beams of the full moon above. On the floor, were several intercepting circles outlined in symbols and runes that emitted a faint purplish glow as Yuki and Nino stepped inside them.    
  
Yuki retrieved the small golden key from her pocket and stretched her hand to the side, exposing the key to image of the moon that shone brightly behind the Goddess. With her eyes closed and her head bowed down, Yuki uttered a few syllables as the key glowered from a warm golden yellow to a blinding white light that illuminated the room. As she finished chanting the key grew from a small piece that fit snugly into Yuki's palm to an ornate silver staff, embedded with jewels, and nearly as tall as Yuki. Nino gasped, remembering the very same staff that he saw in his dreams. The image of Yuki in his dreams, dressed in her white robes reminded him faintly of the picture of the Goddess behind, except that the Yuki in front of him, had black hair and was currently in jeans and a shirt, but it did nothing to lessen the awe that Nino felt at the moment.    
  
"You... that staff... I remember it." Nino stuttered, and then:  "You used to hit me. A lot. Are you sure you're my sister?" he pouted   
  
"Oh, shut up. You weren't such a nice brother yourself" Yuki stuck her tongue out. The old Nino was so close to coming out...   
  
"So, what comes next?"   
  
"Come here." Yuki brought her brother beside her so that they stood at the center of the circle. "Close your eyes and imagine a barrier protecting us. When you've completed the circle, open your eyes."   
  
Nino closed his eyes and envisioned a beam encircling them, protecting them with its green light, alongside it was a dark blue one, which he knew was Yuki's. Nino felt a surge of energy go through him, as he continued reinforcing the circle. It felt as though he were remembering the steps to an old dance he had long forgotten, and magic was the music that fueled the life in his veins. Nino finished forming his barrier, making sure that the dome was thick and formidable as he opened his eyes to see his sister grinning widely at him.   
  
"Wow, you must've missed doing magic so much. There was no need to build a fortress." Yuki laughed   
  
"Huh? How come I can't see it?" Nino asked; looking around for the green and dark blue wall he had seen a while ago.    
  
"Close your eyes, you'll see it again." Yuki explained as Nino complied.   
  
"Oohh… How did that happen?"   
  
"It's a long story...  Anyway, now, we'll get your memories back." Yuki replied, forcing a smile.   
  
"Are you okay? You look a bit nervous"   
  
"Yes, now sit down and close your eyes, please."    
  
Nino sat cross-legged in front of Yuki. Both of their eyes were closed as they held each other's hands while Yuki recited the words to an ancient spell that Nino repeated, one syllable after the other, not minding how foreign it sounds on his tongue. It had been such a long time since he had done magic and his body missed the rush and was longing for more. After a few moments, Nino felt as though he were being separated from his body. He also felt Yuki with him, formless as he was, floating above their physical selves which were sitting inside the circle protected by the translucent blue and green barriers they've created.   
  
"This is so cool!" Nino exclaimed, looking down at their unmoving bodies sitting down inside the circle.   
  
"Psh. You used to be so bored by this."    
  
"Hey, I'm only remembering things now. So, what else could I do?" Nino replied, zipping around the room, examining the altar and poking at things experimentally, only to find out that his fingers went right through them.   
  
"A lot...Well, you'll find out more later. Now let's get down to business."   
  
"Okay, what do I do?" Nino zipped back beside Yuki    
  
"Think back on when you first met us and focus on all the emotions you felt, and everything you feel when you're with us, with me, or with Ohno..."   
  
"Okay..." Nino replied, repressing a slight dread.   
  
"I know that it probably wasn't pleasant, but I'm afraid there's no other way..."   
  
"Don't worry. I've already gone this far..." Nino said as he centered himself and thought back to his first encounter with the dolls...   
  
"Promise me not to pull out when things get bad."   
  
"I won’t."


	15. Flashbacks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A trip back to Nino's past

Nino's ghostly form held on to Yuki's as they traveled further away from their bodies. They crossed over to a different plane that served as a bridge, where the paths of those about to enter a new life, and the recently departed, intersect...   
  
The absence of his body felt liberating. For the first time in his life, Nino finally had an idea of what it was like to be "thin air," and to have the tiniest parts of him dispersed in every which way. He finally knew what it was to be everywhere and yet nowhere all at once. But without a solid shape or form to anchor him, Nino had no point of reference; he could not tell up from down, or left from right, and without a solid body to contain him, there was nothing to prevent him from losing himself. Nino nearly joined the swirl of the colorful, translucent lights that glimmered invitingly around him. As he spent more time dallying among the spectres, Nino's ties binding him to his physical self began to unravel, and he was nearly swept toward the center of the huge vortex that swallowed wandering souls.   
  
"Nino!" a familiar voice screamed in panic. "Keep yourself together! Remember who you are and hold on to that thought!" Yuki's voice rang clearly through the psychedelic haze and brought Nino back to his senses.   
  
"What just happened?" Nino asked, confused but exhilarated as he gradually assumed a vague outline of himself.   
  
"You almost died."   
  
"Huh?! Does that normally happen around here?"   
  
"I forgot to warn you. I'm sorry." Yuki replied, steadying her voice as she recovered from the scare of nearly losing her brother.  "When you're not in your body, it's easy to forget who or what you are, because you don't have the weight of your physical form holding you down."   
  
"What does my physical form have to do with it?"   
  
"Your attachments; everything you identify with, and everything you identify yourself with...You don't really need food or air here, do you?”   
  
"Ohhh... Monks preach about that all the time... reincarnation and stuff, who knew, huh?  Anyway, what were the barriers for? Isn't it supposed to protect us from this?"   
  
"The circle is there to see that our physical bodies don't come to any harm from things that go looking for bodies."   
  
"That's just creepy." Nino replied, surprised that he almost died, and somewhat bemused to find that dying seemed like such a joyride compared to living.   
  
"Well, it's not like you don't leave your body from time to time." Yuki explained, relishing the short break to  prepare for another journey. "People do that sometimes when they dream, most just don't remember when they wake up.  There's a string that ties you to your body, but if you stray too far, it'll break, if there's no soul the body dies. If your soul migrates to another existence, I'll have to go through another wild goose chase through parallel universes to locate you, and I don't have enough energy for another journey."   
  
"Oh...So, it's like we're in a coma down there..."   
  
"You can put it that way if you want.  Both of us are really lucky you have a very strong sense of yourself; else I would have lost you. Anyway, now that we're here and now that you know, it's time for us to go to the next part of our journey. I'll be using the key here to reinforce our bonds with our bodies while we're away."   
  
"Where are we going now?"   
  
"It's not really something I could physically map..." Yuki answered "We're going to share memories. I'm going to share mine with you and hope it will trigger your recollection"   
  
"Okay..." Nino replied, testing the knots that held their souls together.   
  
"Don't worry, they're secure. It'll pull us back if we stray too far" Yuki reassured her brother. "I've done this before. Now, empty your mind, and focus on me..."   
  
In the blink of an eye, they arrived at a place illuminated by a calming red-orange light that glowered softly like the embers of a dying fire. Looking around, Nino saw fine strands of differently colored threads being woven in with one another. It formed an intricate tapestry whose design evolved before his eyes. As he watched, he observed that some stray threads were snipped off as though they were singed, while some were magically lengthened as though the threads grew by themselves.   
  
"Where are we?"   
  
"We are looking at life...part of it, anyway. Those threads are people's lives. We're born, we share our lives with others, and then we all eventually die. We make up a tiny part of that tapestry." Yuki explained, “And we're here to see where we intersect. Our chords should be a little irregular, since I share a longer past with you than you currently do with me. I'm going to find it, and I'm asking you to help me by trying to remember anything that reminds you strongly of the past you shared with me before this life. With some luck it may trigger your memories and the irregularities will be smoothed out."   
  
"How do I do that?" Nino examined his chord and tried to see where it fit within the tapestry, wondering what would happen if he could manage to untangle it somehow...   
  
"Just think back Nino, try to remember..." Yuki's voice sounded distant as her ghostly form closed its eyes in concentration.   
  
**************   
  
Nino focused his thoughts on the odd and disturbing things that have bothered him lately:  his dreams, the staff, Yuki, Ohno, Jun, Aiba, the flashing glyphs, and the magical door... He let his emotions float to the surface while his mind tried to form the connections between these objects, hoping to find the memory that would trigger a total recall...   
  
Moments later, he felt Yuki's presence slip into his mental space.   
  
_Why am I not surprised?_  Yuki muttered.  _Well, Ohno it is then..._  Yuki said as she located the threads that twined her life with Ohno's and her brother's...   
  
There was a flash of light and the sensation of traveling through a long and winding tube, as though they were being sucked in by a vacuum. Before Nino knew it, he was back in the old kingdom, where he was sharing a joke with Yuki and Ohno while having a picnic in the vast meadows of the palace gardens. It was a lovely summer day, and Aiba was busy playing tag with wild mountain wolves, while Sho and Jun pored over a scroll while nibbling on a sandwich.   
  
The six had grown closer ever since the dreadful summons that brought them together. Yuki felt like her family decided to adopt four more brothers to annoy her, and was convinced that she's aged ten years just by constantly having to deal with Aiba's hyperactive episodes, (not to mention his animal friends running all over the palace,) Jun's unpredictable mood swings and sometimes, explosive tantrums, and Nino's scheming, (which had grown more elaborate now that he had acquired unwitting accomplices in Aiba, Sho, and Ohno.)   
  
The burden of saving their world had been taken off her shoulders and the King had insisted, along with everyone else during that meeting, that it was not possible for one person, with or without the aid of the key, to fend off a disaster which will inevitably come to every planet. They won't be able to save this world, not even if Yuki burned off enough of her life force for several incarnations to migrate its residents to another dimension. Even if they were able to, the imbalance would be quite severe and not everyone will be prepared to face what may lie waiting for them in another world. The King in his desperation hoped that by bringing the last and the most powerful of the magical ones together, a solution would come up. If not, the least they could do was offer a softer and more merciful death for its inhabitants.   
  
The burden lay heavily upon the children who were barely out of their teens, yet they persisted. News of the seers' inability to conjure visions was hushed, and everyone in the kingdom was blissfully kept unaware of the fate that awaited their world. Vows of secrecy were kept, because no one had enough courage to break the terrible news to their loved ones. For years until that fateful day, they spent their time refining their magic and honing their skills, sometimes, conveniently forgetting the reason that lay behind it as love blossomed and friendships grew deeper.   
  
As Yuki dug further into her own memories, Nino's own were awakened and weaved their way into Yuki's consciousness. One by one, Nino's memories flashed seamlessly before their eyes like a movie played on fast forward. It showed them as they aged and matured into the kingdom's most powerful mages and sorcerers. It also showed how they each grew closer to one another and gave them much to reflect upon as they watched how they interacted with one another, taking note of all the little things that they missed and the subtle hints that they dropped unconsciously. The siblings each discovered more about the other...    
  
Even some things that they probably could have done without...   
  
Like Nino's first kiss, (or rather, Ohno's) which was an awkward affair for Nino who stood behind Ohno, contemplating how to best approach the seer. Ohno was oblivious to his presence while he painted portraits and landscapes, happy that the awful visions were no longer getting in his way. In the end, Nino decided to forego all the formalities and awkward explanations that came with asking for a kiss.  Coming up from behind, he cupped the artist's face in his hands, and leaned in to clumsily plant a wet, sloppy kiss upon his lips. Ohno, in his surprise dropped the paintbrush and the palette, and knocked down the canvas with his elbow. Minutes later, the small studio lay in shambles as the ruined canvas lay face down,  spreading the wet paint all over the floor and on their clothes after Ohno decided to return the kiss, and two pairs of hands eagerly started exploring new territory underneath silk robes...   
  
_Nino. EW._

"Whaat?! You're in my memories, you're just jealous. But you know, if you only noticed that...

Noticed what?

Nothing. I'm not telling.

...It's not like I won't find out anyway...  
  
The show went on, with Yuki, pretending not to see the...  _other_  things that happened between the lovers. (Apart from the very enthusiastic, public groping that caused Ohno to emit a small, surprised squeak, every so often...)  
  
As they went further along, they saw how love bloomed between Sho and Aiba. They watched it evolve from its awkward beginnings of the subtle exchanges of hints and gestures, until Aiba grew more expressive of his affections, pulling the shy young monk out of his shell. Sho, who had been conflicted about his emotions for the flighty, yet charismatic wizard eventually, accepted the love that was freely offered and grew to be the most protective of Aiba out of all of them. Jun remained solitary and withdrawn for the most part, and the harshness of his tongue had mellowed down to a sincere scolding, more out of concern than anger for his friends. Although this didn't mean that he didn't occasionally utter the hurtful word or comment out of spite. Jun, after much coaxing and spending a lot of time with his newfound family, learned to place his complete faith in Nino and the rest, but he curiously kept to himself... there were just some things that he couldn't risk.  
  
Nino and Yuki's recollections of Jun somehow diverged at this point. Through Nino's eyes, Yuki saw  
Jun stealing glances at her when she wasn't looking, and looking at her wistfully, (or so it seemed,) whenever she turned away or left the room. Nino's eyes didn't miss the subtle shifts in Jun's face. He knew how much he tried to contain his happiness when Yuki was around and how much he tried to hide his disappointment whenever Yuki left. All Yuki saw, in the meantime, was a young man who was still awkwardly coming into himself and had a hard time trusting people completely, mostly due to his gifts. Seeing how conflicted Jun was, Nino waited for a time when he could catch Jun alone to confront him about his fears. Having spent some time with the empath, Nino had somehow figured out a way to hide his intent and was able to corner Jun successfully.  
  
The moment came when Jun was alone in the library, poring over the scrolls that Sho had given him to study while he was out in the city doing his usual rounds and offering help where he was needed.  Aiba went back home for a short visit to his family, while Ohno had taken up sculpting and was busy perfecting his new craft. This left only him and Yuki, who was busy practicing spells with the Key, inside the castle. Seeing that there were no obstacles in sight, Nino approached Jun and sat down on the chair directly across from him...  
  
"I know why you're here and I think I know what you want. But please, whatever it is, just don't say anything." Jun said, refusing to meet Nino's gaze.  
  
"I don't see why not." Nino replied "I have no idea what you see in my sister, but she doesn't bite. Well, she steals my food, hides my toys, and has a really mean streak, but she's not that bad. Besides, I think she could do with a boyfriend, it'd keep her attention away from me." Nino joked.  
  
"Nino, please..." Jun begged, whispering softly, his eyes seemingly focused on the pieces of parchment littered on the table although his mind hardly registered anything.  
  
"Why don't you give it a chance, Jun? It could turn out well..."  
  
"Because... I don't have one. She doesn't feel the same. The only thing on her mind is the training. She's just as stubborn as you, and she's still clinging on to that false hope that we'll all be saved... How can I possibly compete with that?" Jun's voice broke, his eyes never leaving the parchment scattered all over the table.  
  
"That's a bigger reason for you to interfere, save her from herself!"  
  
Jun just shook his head "I... tried plenty of times, but she doesn't even notice. I think I'm nothing more than a little brother to her.  It's best if I just gave it up completely... The only thing I could really do is to support her from the sidelines..."  
  
****  
 _Jun... I never knew..._

Well, now you do...So give up on Sho, will you?  
  
****  
  
Several things clicked into place for Yuki. This was the reason why they always ended up together somehow. Nino, along with Sho and Aiba had planned most of their encounters and had set up most of their "dates," (which had all gone wrong, or ended up being group activities,) and in each instance, Yuki only saw Jun as an adorable, though oftentimes grouchy little brother, while Jun was visibly enthused with every chance he got to spend time with Yuki, (even though he tried his hardest to hide it.) Yuki had missed the point when Jun had grown into a mature young man and was now starting to look at him with new eyes. She was a little saddened to know how easily Jun gave up on her and pushed his emotions aside, but there wasn't much time for that, she would handle it once they got back...  
  
Meanwhile, things moved on more smoothly in Nino's mind, and it seemed as though he was taking his time with his memories, remembering them as they happened, but looking at them through a different perspective. The scene had changed, and he was now alone with Ohno, hidden somewhere in the woods, in a secret place that only the two of them knew about. It was late in the afternoon, and they had taken some time off from the rigid training to indulge Ohno and his inexplicable love for fishing. Nino had snuck away some ale and was preparing to enjoy the day's catch as it roasted under the small fire that he made. The day progressed with both of them ending up more intoxicated than they originally intended, so they decided to prolong their stay until they were sober enough to go home. Ohno's cheeks flushed bright red as he giggled and babbled a lot of disjointed thoughts that made no sense whatsoever, while Nino giggled in return and loudly declared his love as he cuddled Ohno and named him his wife forever and ever. In the midst of their drunken exchanges, Ohno paused and suddenly grew quiet...  
  
"Nino... “Ohno whispered, "I have something to tell you..."  Ohno's face was scrunched up in confusion, and he was nervously fidgeting with his shirt.  
  
"What is it?" Nino whispered back, "and why are we whispering?"  
  
"I have something to tell you, it's a veeeeeeeery big secret!" Ohno replied, still whispering and looking around as though something may come out of the bushes.  
  
"What? I like secrets! Tell me!"  
  
"I had one vision, but I didn't tell anyone!"  
  
"What? Tell me!"  
  
"I saw us... in weird clothes, in a strange world where there was no magic."  
  
"No magic? It must be pretty boring there..."  
  
"It's true. I saw you too but you didn't even know who I was. It was like I couldn't even move, or shout or hold you. Jun was there too, and Aiba and Yuki."  
  
"What about Sho?"  
  
"I don't know. I didn't see him... It was so strange."  
  
Nino's drunkenness had suddenly worn off at Ohno's revelation. Ohno didn't seem to notice this and kept rambling on about this other world where there were no wands, no magic, and where tiny people talked and moved around inside small boxes with really small houses.   
  
"Why didn't you tell anyone?"  
  
"Because... nobody else saw the same thing. I thought it wasn't a vision" Ohno replied quietly. "But I saw it again and again. Maybe I just wanted to believe it."  
  
Nino and Ohno stayed quiet for a while, and after a few more minutes, decided that they were sober enough and went their way home. Both remained quiet and contemplative throughout the whole journey. Nino took Ohno's revelation seriously and was already formulating a scheme on how to make that vision come true...


	16. Omens

Both boys arrived at the castle quiet and completely sober with Nino already formulating strategies in his mind, creating a mental bullet list of the things he needed, the things he knew, and the things he should consider. Right after Ohno's drunken confession of a stray yet persistent vision that haunted him, an afternoon that was supposed to be spent in relaxation, turned into something deathly serious and stirred Nino's mental gears into overdrive as he haphazardly packed their things up and walked on, unaware of the blades of grass and the bits of food that clung to his clothes as he purposefully stalked towards the castle. Ohno, meanwhile, plodded after Nino, uneasy in his contemplation of the things he had let loose in the midst of his drunkenness. On the surface, Ohno appeared normal: the vacant, 'not quite here' stare was fixed firmly on his face, but in the years that they've grown to love each other, Nino knew better. Not much concerning Ohno ever passed by the prince unnoticed.  Just as they were about to enter their respective rooms, Nino stopped and turned to face Ohno...   
  
"What's wrong?"    
  
"Nothing, I was just spacing out..." Ohno replied, not quite meeting Nino's eyes.   
  
"Give me credit for knowing you better than that. What's bothering you?" Nino gently persisted.   
  
"I'm sorry. I think I drank too much and said things I shouldn't have." Ohno's gaze was fixed on the floor beneath his boots.   
  
"Don't ever be sorry for giving me hope. I believe in everything you told me" Nino replied, taking Ohno's hand in his and giving it a firm squeeze.   
  
"But I was just--"   
  
"Even if you try to take it back, or say that it isn't true, I've already made up my mind. "   
  
"But Nino..."   
  
"Leave it to me, okay?"   
  
"... We were the only ones who made it to that other world... everyone else was..."   
  
"I understand. I'll keep it a secret." Nino embraced Ohno tightly before they parted ways and Ohno headed to his room.   
  
  
****   
_Now things are starting to make sense... anyway, I think he felt really guilty about it, that's why he kept it a secret..._

I know. I had to get him drunk to get it out of him...  
  
****  
   
As he was about to retreat into his chambers, Nino bumped into Yuki who came running down the hallway. Her eyes were hidden beneath her long black hair which was strangely unkempt and clung messily about her face. In Yuki's arms, Nino could make out what seemed to be a stuffed animal (or perhaps, it was Yuki's cat, he can't be sure...) Yuki didn't seem to acknowledge Nino, nor did she bother with apologies, as she resumed running and headed straight to her bedroom, slamming the door shut behind her as she entered. Nino, though a little startled, chose not to dwell on it for the moment; there were more pressing matters in his mind. He needed to mull over the details of Ohno's vision (or as much of it as he can remember) before he can come up with a clear solution, and he needed the breathing room to steady his nerves. Though he acknowledged that there were certain things about the staff that he needed to ask his sister, Yuki, it appears was terribly upset over something. Nino decided to let it wait, and leave Yuki her space, at least until he had a clearer idea of what he needed to do.    
  
That night; Yuki refused to come to dinner and stubbornly remained in her room despite the pleading of several palace servants and some earnest coaxing from Jun, Sho and Aiba. Nobody knew what had taken place in the training room, and the only thing they were sure of, was that Yuki had been alone in there for a couple of hours, presumably practicing some of the spells by herself. Whatever it was that had Yuki upset was bad enough for her to refuse contact even from the closest of kin, and left the others wondering just what happened inside that room to turn Yuki, of the short fuse and the sharp tongue, uncharacteristically quiet and somber. As much as he wanted to leave Yuki her room to grieve or recover, a nagging feeling in his gut refused to let him leave his sister alone. He knew, intuitively, that whatever it was that had his sister this upset was somehow connected to Ohno's vision; and if that were true, he would just have to risk Yuki's wrath and have a random breakable object flung at his head when he entered her room.  
  
Half an hour after they finished dinner, Nino knocked hesitantly at Yuki's door, and mentally prepared himself for some verbal lashing, or to have his sister scream at him to be left alone. What he didn't expect, however, was the unresisting silence that met his knocking (which turned irritably loud and obnoxious after several attempts to catch her attention.) Curious, Nino pressed his ear against the door and listened in: From where he stood, Nino could make out the barely restrained sobbing coming from Yuki, which gave him more cause for alarm than he previously had. Deciding to take a risk, Nino tried opening the door, which to his surprise yielded quite easily, and had none of the spells or booby traps that Yuki normally used to keep people away. Nino cautiously stepped inside Yuki's room, expecting, if not an insult, at least some small porcelain vase to be hurled his way. What greeted him instead was a heartbroken and defeated Yuki. She was lying on her side, in the middle of her four-poster bed, with her arms curled protectively around a white fluffy cat that resembled her beloved pet. Keiko, her cat, lay stiff and unmoving on the satin covered mattress of Yuki's bed, while she carded her long slender fingers through its matted fur.  
  
"Yuki..." Nino spoke quietly, breaking the mournful silence that surrounded Yuki's room, as hesitantly approached his sister and sat at the foot of her bed.  
  
"Keiko's dead. It's my fault." Yuki sniffed, as she sat up, cradling the stiff body of the lifeless feline in her arms.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"I tried to take her traveling with me using the key, but she didn't survive."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I tried crossing worlds and I thought I'd take her with me...I thought we'd have some fun together. “Yuki said between sobs, "She seemed to be fine, but when we came back, she had seizures, and all of a sudden her heart stopped, and she just dropped dead."  
  
"Do you know why it happened?" Nino stared at the frozen cat. It looked like one of those preserved animals that his father kept as trophies back in the days when he still went hunting.  
  
"No." Yuki shook her head, wiping a stray tear that ran down her cheek.  "I wasn't allowed to use the key to travel yet and I tried it out on my own without Eriol knowing..."  
  
The two remained in a companionable silence for some time, with Nino pondering over the implications of Yuki's revelations, and Yuki still quietly grieving the loss of Keiko...  
  
"I guess it was good that I didn't try to take you with me, huh?"  Yuki finally spoke, her eyes red and bleary from all the crying.  
  
"I guess so..." Nino trailed off, trying to make the connection between his sister's revelations and those of Ohno's...  
  
“I think this just means that I can't just take anyone traveling with me."   
  
"At least you found out early on." Nino replied in consolation "There might be a way... we just have to find out how to get the others to travel with you safely. I still think you shouldn't try to attempt taking the whole kingdom with you though..."  
  
"Thanks..." Yuki sighed “You know, I think that Eriol has a stack of books about the key which he hasn't shown me yet. I know where he keeps them but he won't let me go near them for some reason. I think I should get my hands on those one day... In the meantime, can we keep this a secret?" Yuki pleaded. "Help me find a place to bury Keiko. She needs to be somewhere pretty, probably the garden, where the daisies grow. She likes daisies..." Yuki spoke in a sad and broken voice, pushing Keiko's eyelids shut.  
  
  
The following morning found the siblings digging up a grave for Keiko in a secluded spot near the newly blossomed daisies which filled the air with their sweet floral scent.  Though uninvited; Sho, Ohno, Jun, and Aiba, with his pet squirrel perched on his shoulders, followed close by and stood solemnly behind them as they watched the two bury Yuki's beloved pet.  
  
"I'm sorry if we're intruding, but Shimuken told me about Keiko, and he said he wanted to say goodbye too." Aiba spoke in an apologetic manner as Nino started to dig.  
  
"Thank you, Aiba; Shimuken..." Yuki replied.  
  
"We're very sorry about Keiko" said Sho "I had a cat too, and I loved him very much."  
  
"We brought her favorite toys." Jun added, handing Yuki a toy mouse and the ball of yarn that Keiko had always chased around. "I thought she might miss them..."  
  
"Thank you, Jun I think Keiko would appreciate it." Yuki replied, taking Keiko's toys and placing them beside her cat, as Nino started shoveling the dirt over Keiko and they all bid their last goodbyes to the fluffy pet.  
  
After Keiko had been buried, the six had decided to hold a small feast in honor of Yuki's cat. Aiba and Sho brought the food, while Jun and Ohno brought the drinks. Yuki and Nino carried the utensils and the picnic blanket which they spread over a small empty patch of grass near the place where Keiko was buried. Yuki's mood remained heavy despite the attempts to cheer her up, and Nino's promise of looking for another cat that looked exactly like Keiko only served to worsen her mood. It was only later on, after a few glasses of wine, that Yuki revealed something that worried her far greater than the loss of her cat...  
  
"I'm really sad that Keiko's gone." she began "but I think she really helped us in her own way...  If she didn't... die, then I wouldn't know that, maybe, the key would only let me cross dimensions. If that's true then that means there's no way..." Yuki trailed off, looking somberly at the half empty glass, through her bloodshot eyes as she swirled the bitter red wine.  
  
"Eriol already told you not to burden yourself with things like that." Jun interrupted, "but if you're really determined, we'll try to look for ways."  
  
"I'll do my best to help you too." said Sho "I would even do some research in the temple's library for you, but I'm not so sure they have books regarding the Key..."  
  
"Thanks, both of you”.  
  
***********  
  
Despite the loss of a beloved pet, Yuki's experimentations sparked renewed hope among the five, who tried containing their excitement at the fact that one could actually traverse worlds. Nino, especially, took this as a sign that Ohno's visions were indeed prophetic and not a fantasy borne out of wishful thinking. Of all of them, he and Ohno were the most determined and enthusiastic in helping Yuki; making time for some research on the sly despite the equally rigid training that they went through to develop their abilities.  
  
Their enthusiasm, however, was short lived. Though there were volumes of books in the library, outlining the Key's long and boring history, none of the books contained actual documentation of experiments regarding the Key, there weren't even any books that had information about what life was like in other dimensions. There seemed to be a significant lack of information regarding its actual use, while the library was filled with more useless books on theoretical speculations on how the Key came to their world, and what it's previous owners might have looked like.  Nino was growing desperate and seriously doubted the head wizard's trustworthiness. He remembered the night Yuki mentioned that there might be books on the Key that the wizard didn't let her touch, and that it was kept in the safety of his own study, probably warded and bespelled to protect itself from the idly curious.   
  
"Well now, we'll just have to get around that, won't we?" Nino murmured to himself as he closed another thick volume on the Key's previous eccentric owners.  
  
"You were saying something?" Aiba perked, grateful for any interruption which gave him an excuse to stop reading.  
  
Nino looked at Aiba quizzically for a moment, grinned, and then said:  
  
"I'm going to tell you something, but you have to keep it a secret."  
  
"What? What is it? I promise I won't tell anyone!" Aiba replied in an exaggerated whisper...  
  
***  
That afternoon, Shimuken found himself inside Eriol's study, looking for a particular book, which was supposed to be "glowing red" and "acting really funny," or so Aiba told him. The little squirrel was promised all the nuts he could have for three days, if he could just sneak in, leave the small rolled up parchment beside the book, and come back to Aiba unnoticed. The book was quite easy to find. The thick leather bound book did glow red, but it didn't act funny, or at least Shimuken didn't find it funny when he came near it and nearly singed his fur. Apart from that, the book really smelled musty, as if it had been unopened for several years and the paper already seemed to be crumbling from age.  Shimuken did as he was told and placed the rolled up parchment as near to the crabby old book as he could. Seconds within coming near the book's protective barrier, the paper burned and was pulverized into microscopic bits, startling the small squirrel who sought shelter under the nearest desk. After a few moments, Shimuken poked his nose out experimentally, and decided that it was safe to come out; still curious about the book, Shimuken once more attempted to go near it, and to his surprise (and relief) his fur was left unharmed. With his job done, Shimuken scampered off to look for Aiba and demand immediate payment, with interest...  
  
"Waah. Shimuken nearly got burned!" Aiba screeched as he anxiously watched his small friend through the scrying pool.  
  
"Hey, at least he's still alive." Nino replied "Here, I have his treats with me. You really do have a great squirrel, Aiba. Thank you for letting me use him"  
  
"Of course! Er, by the way, what was in that paper that you gave him?"  
  
"It's a spell to neutralize the protective wards. With some luck, I'll be able to get that book..."  
  
"Ohh. You're amazing Nino! I haven't been able to do that"  
  
"I learned it without them knowing. They don't know that I can do it."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because then, I won't be able to do that. And it's convenient for me."  
  
"I see... Hey, if you need my help, I can talk to the other animals too."  
  
"I think I might need your help, Aiba. I'll have to think about this some more." Nino said as he formed his next plan of action...


	17. Faith

With its protective spells banished, another obstacle had been removed. Nino would now be able to touch the book without fearing the consequences. The problem now, had to do with how much he knew Eriol, and if he could fool him long enough to take the book without arousing suspicion. Never one to back down from a challenge, Nino formulated his plans in the span of one sleepless night...

The following day was spent secretly gathering blank pieces of parchment and stealthily avoiding Jun when he can, or keeping a fairly neutral demeanor when he was around the empath. Once the pages were sufficient, he then glued them together to look like a book, and used his talent for illusions to make it look exactly like the one he was about to take. The pages of the newly bound (and blank) book were made to appear aged and fragile enough to crumble at the slightest touch, its red leather binding appeared to be in tatters and just about to fall off its spine. As an added measure, he cast a protective spell around the book that would send a jolt of electricity to those that the spell didn't recognize. The next phase of his plan involved replacing the original with the decoy he created. With some amount of luck and Aiba's help, Nino was able to pull it off. All he needed to do was a little bit of acting to draw Eriol away from his study, while Aiba's furry friends carried on their plans without the household noticing anything.

That afternoon, it was Nino's turn to train under Eriol. For every session, he spent six full hours under the wizard: two hours were allotted to lectures, and four were equally divided into the usual practice drills in defensive magic and refining his illusions. For this session, he managed to talk Eriol into having their sessions outdoors under the pretense of boredom and a need to test how far his abilities have progressed. Ohno, Jun, and Yuki were invited to watch, and eagerly waited for the show to start. Sho was doing his own research in the temple while Aiba, (who requested a special performance from Nino,) spent the afternoon hidden in his bedroom, feigning a bad case of allergies while giving his animal friends instructions on how to replace the book with the imitation that Nino had worked on the prior night. Nino had given them specific orders to leave everything as it was in order to evade suspicion. Once the book was successfully retrieved, it was to be placed in Nino's room, in a secret compartment under his bed that only he and Aiba knew about.

 ******

After an intensive training session of conjuring mermaids, whales, and pink dolphins in a wide open meadow, spelled to look like a beach, Nino promptly collapsed from exhaustion on his big soft bed. He awoke after three hours of deep and undisturbed sleep to have a warm bath, a change of clothes and a leisurely dinner where the topic of conversation was centered around Nino's growing powers and the grand show that was staged in front of Jun, Yuki, Ohno and Eriol. Once dinner was over, Nino retreated to the safety of his room and retrieved the book from under his bed. He made sure to lock the door and secure all of the openings in his bedroom before he even started to read. So far, luck has worked out in his favor and nothing seemed amiss. 

It was way past midnight and Nino was still poring over the book, meticulously taking down notes in a separate piece of paper.  It turned out that Yuki was right in suspecting Eriol of withholding information. The book had exactly what they were looking for: notes from previous users who have crossed dimensions. It contained tips, precautions and specific instructions for those about to embark on a journey. More importantly, it gave an explanation for what happened to Yuki's cat: According to the book, only the holder of the Key can cross dimensions unharmed. Any other companions would not survive the trip because they Key would only shield its owner from the physical effects of crossing dimensions; their bodies won't be able to take the strain and will inevitably end up dying in a fit of uncontrollable seizures. Inanimate objects, like keys, plants, or books, however remained unchanged. In theory, if one were to freeze their companion, that person would make it through alive because their body won't have to react to the changes. Unfortunately, none of the Key's previous owners had ever toyed with the idea of freezing their companions. There were no guarantees that their companions would have come out alive, or if their bodies would not react the same way once they had been unfrozen. None of them have ever been brave or foolish enough to try and they did not want to risk killing anyone. 

"Well that explains things..." Nino muttered to himself in the dead of the night.

With this information in hand, Nino used some of his magic to create a copy of the book. With the exception of two pages, a perfect copy of the book was handed to Yuki the following afternoon, right after her turn with Eriol. The original book was then returned to Eriol's study the same way it had been taken out. 

********

So why, exactly did you tear those two pages out? Afraid I'd have some messiah complex?

Well you did, at the time, didn't you? I'm sorry. I didn't want you to be handling the guilt if that experiment failed. We still don't know if we did the right thing...   

Yuki remained in contemplation for a few moments...

I see... We, meaning you and Sho, right?

Yup.

********

 A few days after Nino handed Yuki her copy, he asked Sho if he could come to the temple to research on some spells.

"Doesn't your library have it?"

"Not the specific one I was looking for..." Nino replied

"I see." Sho replied, and raised and inquiring eyebrow, ”I guess you can come with me tomorrow; I'll be making the rounds again. Plenty of people are getting really sick these days."

"I know. Things seem to be slowly getting worse. People getting sick for no reason, harvests getting fewer, rivers drying up...We're headed there, one step at a time... It sucks even more that we're the only ones who know"

"And the Ohnos..."

"Yeah, them too...We're not even sure we can do anything about it" Nino sighed.

"Well, I'm glad we finally have some time to catch up. You seem to have been quite busy lately."

"I guess so..."

 "Just meet me at the gates tomorrow morning. Does your dad know that you plan to come with me?"

"No, but I can make him believe I'm here."

"What about the others?"

"They'll all believe I'm here.  I just made Jun and Ohno believe they were in a beach though we were sitting right smack in the middle of our garden. I could easily make myself look like one of your monk friends when we sneak out, and leave a copy of me here. Trust me; you'll be the only one who knows who I am."

"Okay then..." Sho agreed, albeit hesitantly. He had also been doing his part in trying to find more information about the Key, but like the others, had made no significant progress...

The following morning found Nino sneaking out of the castle with Sho, who was waiting for him at the gates. Nino cast glamour on himself to look like one of the monks from the monastery, and if anyone asked, he was a novice monk assigned to pick up Sho and accompany him on his usual trips to the city. Things went smoothly from there and they were able to reach the monastery before noon. By then, Nino changed his disguise and assumed Aiba's form... 

"Stop doing that, it's creepy." Said Sho who felt unsettled by the image of Aiba standing in front of him with his shoulders hunched, both hands in the pockets of his robes, and wearing a knowing smirk on his face.

"Oh, don't worry. I'm perfectly capable of acting like Aiba" Nino replied, and as if to demonstrate, immediately straightened his back, removed both hands from his pockets and wore Aiba's trademark grin while  placing an arm around Sho's shoulders.

Sho shuddered and swatted Nino's arm away. Even though he knew that the person beside him was definitely not Aiba, Nino was able to copy Aiba perfectly, from his carefree, yet clumsy gait, down to his goofy grin and his breathy giggling. He could have fooled anyone into thinking that this was Sho's clumsy, but sweet and well-meaning 'best friend.'

"Hmm... Something’s missing" Nino said, tilting his head and pressing a forefinger against his lower lip, "Oh, I know!" he exclaimed, a few moments later, a small squirrel materialized, perched on his shoulders.

"Oh god." Sho muttered, horrified. "Are you sure you aren't hiding a forked tail under all those robes?"

"Oh, no, but I think I left my trident at home!" Nino laughed in Aiba's breathy, high-pitched giggle.  

"You're scary;" Sho replied "Anyway, I'll be showing you the library after lunch. I'll have to prepare for my trip to the city. We'll talk more when I get back, okay?"

"Sure, darling!" Nino replied as they both entered the monastery.

"Shut up, Nino."

Once lunch was over, Sho showed Nino to the library and pointed him to the spell books while he headed out to the city for a few hours to help the old and the ailing. The collection of books and scrolls in the library were not as extensive as those of the castle's, but there were quite a few rare ones in their small study which could not be found in any other library. There were tomes and scrolls written by the wandering monks of their order, and those donated by travelers who sometimes gave it as payment in exchange for a few nights lodgings in their temple. Nino immediately scoured the shelves, looking for a specific spell that would render its target immobile while still retaining its life.

Book after book Nino searched the library. Though he found numerous spells for freezing people, all of them had been written by magicians who used it as a defensive spell, some of which ended their target's life, or wore off after a few moments. After four hours of searching, Nino was at his wits end and had come quite close to throwing a tantrum and pulling his hair, until he spotted a small book sitting neglected on one of the furthest shelves, beside volumes of history books and healing spells. In his dusty robes, Nino left the tall stack of the spell books and crawled toward the little black book that strangely beckoned to him. The slim volume was covered with dust and cobwebs, and like the book in Eriol's study, its pages were also yellowed with age. The thick threads that held its pages together were already frayed at the edges and could easily be cut by even the dullest of knives. Blowing the dust off of the covers, Nino opened the flap to discover a small volume on potions by an unnamed magician (most likely, a monk who used to live in this temple,) who had experimented with the idea of surgery. As he leafed through the pages he found recipes of various brews for medicinal and medical purposes. Of all the useful potions he had read about, one particular potion caught his eye...

"Putting your patient in a paralyzed state to reduce blood loss from surgery ... Nino, just what are you looking for?" Sho asked, looking over Nino's shoulder and snapping him out of his reverie. He had been so absorbed in what he was reading that he didn't notice the young monk's entry into the library. 

"Isn't it time you let me into your plans, Nino?" Sho urged, pulling Nino from his crouched position at the corner of the library and leading him on to the table with the tall stack of spell books. "Oh, and you're going to help me re-shelve these books."

Nino sighed. Desperation clearly painted on his face as he pondered on the possible consequences for telling Sho of his plans. Sho could be trusted, of that much he was sure, but he had second thoughts. There was a big chance that Sho, in his kindness, would insist on sharing the guilt with him and that was something that he just could not allow to happen. Sho continued to look at Nino, his gaze patient and unwavering while he waited for Nino to speak. 

"Sho, listen... I think you're better off not knowing--" Nino began

"Nino, even if you didn't tell me, I would come to the same conclusion anyway." Sho insisted, "We all agreed to help Yuki. I know that you found something, and you didn't exactly bother telling us. Aiba may, or may not have been part of that plan because it was out of character for him to miss one of your displays and he isn't any good at feigning his allergies, at least he didn't fool me. There's also the little flaw in your scheming today because you didn't have a readymade excuse for why you didn't tell your dad that you were coming here, nor did you notice that I agreed too easily to let you come. Apart from that you have really dark circles under your eyes that you didn't bother to hide with one of your usual glamours. You were careful, but you were too tired to be that careful... So, Nino, am I right?"

"Yes, you're right. I found something" Nino replied in defeat, slightly disappointed with himself for having underestimated Sho's cleverness. 

"And you didn't tell us, because?"

"It was a book stored in Eriol's room and Yuki knows about it and insisted on keeping it a secret. Yuki already has a copy of the book."

"So why isn't she with you, looking for whatever it is that you're looking for?"

"Eriol doesn't know. He's been withholding information for some reason and I don't think it would be a good idea to let him know. We're supposed to act normally, and this means that Yuki is supposed to trust Eriol completely. Although she's been pestering him constantly about when she'd actually be given the chance to try out the Key's powers, Eriol manages to evade the question or give her the age-old excuse that she's still 'too inexperienced' to use they Key."

Sho kept silent for a few minutes while he pondered the implications of Nino's confession, and slowly added up the facts in his head: he had walked into the young prince, absorbed in a particular potion that would have a patient paralyzed and under a coma...

"You've found a way around the problem, haven't you?" Sho's eyes lit up, and a smile slowly started to form on his lips.

"Well... I've yet to see if this works..."

******

Another thing that Nino had underestimated, apart from his deductive prowess, was Sho's ability to disarm with his kindness. It was just as he feared: He ended up telling Sho everything, and now Sho was only too willing to share the burden with him. Sho was right; perhaps it was the lack of sleep coupled with information overload which led him to be a little careless.  It was Sho's sweet and affable demeanor, coupled with his sharp mind that got Sho what he wanted. Years of dealing with difficult people had taught him the skills needed to settle minor feuds, to get an errant child to obey, and to put people's minds at rest. Despite his begging and pleading, he was unable to dissuade the monk and he had even insisted on creating the potion together.

"Sho, why are you helping me with this? Things could go wrong"

"I already know that much and it is true, we could both end up killing them."

"Exactly, so, why?"

"... Maybe I believe in what you're doing more than you do... You missed out on one thing while you were telling me about Ohno's vision"

"Which is?"

"Ohno did not see me there. He saw you, Jun, Aiba, and Yuki, but he never mentioned me."

"Maybe he just missed out on the part where you're there. Not all his visions show the complete thing. You already know that."

"I don't know..." Sho shrugged, "Something tells me that I am where I need to be right now and that I should be doing this. Besides, what kind of friend would I be if I let you shoulder the burden alone?"

Nino remained silent, unable to think of a retort that would make the young monk change his mind.

"Hmm..." Sho interrupted

"What's on your mind?"

"You never mentioned anything about the antidote. How are we going to 'unfreeze' them once Yuki has, in theory, successfully transported them?"

"Well..." Nino began awkwardly 

"We can't administer the antidote and Yuki can't do it for us, because both the potion and the antidote require the magical signatures of the ones who created it. The antidote, especially, requires fresh blood, Nino. Even if we did freeze each other, there's no way we're going to get out of that comatose state. What do we do about that? "

"Actually, I... plan to stay behind."

"What?!  What's the whole point if you're going to die? And what's this thing about 'I'? We're in this together. I'll be staying behind with you."

"Well, All I'm banking on is the idea of reincarnation, and being in that dimension where they're supposed to land next..."

"Do you really believe all of it, and do you think we'll be able to remember the antidote?"

"I don't know... but we'll have to, somehow..."

"I guess we do..." Sho smiled, patting Nino's back in a comforting gesture.

"I wish I had your faith."

"Sometimes, it's all I have, and right now I have a lot of it in you. "

"Sho..."

"Yes?"

"Thank you very much."

"Who knows, maybe it'll be fun to watch the world explode."

"Yeah, maybe..."With its protective spells banished, another obstacle had been removed. Nino would now be able to touch the book without fearing the consequences. The problem now, had to do with how much he knew Eriol, and if he could fool him long enough to take the book without arousing suspicion. Never one to back down from a challenge, Nino formulated his plans in the span of one sleepless night...


	18. The End

Despite their best intentions, nobody could completely hide the truth from the public. It was no secret to Nino, and certainly not to the rest of the palace, that the end was fast approaching. Each day that passed drew them a step closer to their final goodbyes and each nurtured their own melancholy sentiments as they gazed at the meteor; looming larger as it hovered closer to their planet.

In one official meeting, the palace astronomers had been asked to give their reports. Like everyone else privy to the secret, the astronomers were under oath to keep quiet, and had been asked to fashion some story about a momentous celestial event that takes place once in a million years to keep the masses from panicking. According to them, the meteor may strike in as little as five months, and the effects would be nothing short of devastating, they further added that the effects would be felt in as early as three months, with rivers drying up due to an immense heat wave and probably more than a few forest fires. Once it finally collides with their planet, nobody would survive the impact.

Old myths and superstitions, however, prevailed over official announcements from the King and it was proving to be quite a feat to keep the panic and the distrust from spreading. The public may not have been made aware of the truth, but that didn't mean they couldn't sense it. This was what Nino had learned when he sneaked out of the castle with Sho, Jun, Aiba and Ohno. There was no particular reason for this escapade other than a desire to see the world outside the palace walls. This time, he had at least reassured Yuki of his whereabouts, because of Sho's insistence and his discomfort with deceiving people.

It was a special day when the five had ventured out. It was a time for celebrations and festivities as people welcomed autumn and bade summer goodbye. They had arrived at the fairgrounds early in the evening, taking a leisurely stroll while they relished the welcome drop in temperature, the balmy autumn breeze ruffling through their hair. Aiba behaved like an excited child at the sights and sounds that welcomed him. The fairgrounds were teeming with people dressed in festive garb as they sampled the various goods that each stall had to offer. Aiba clung to Sho's sleeves and constantly pestered him with questions about the various stalls and tents that littered the fairgrounds. Jun's eyes wandered curiously while he walked in long, languid strides with the rest of them. He made sure to reinforce his shields so that his experience would not be ruined by the onslaught of thoughts and emotions that floated about the place. Beside Jun, Ohno and Nino walked hand in hand. Ohno was spelled to look like a peasant girl wearing a baby blue dress; his short, unkempt hair was made to look like long brown locks that fell in waves past his shoulders and just a few inches above his waist. Nino tied Ohno's hair in a half pony, fastening it with one of the jeweled clips he snitched from Yuki's vanity. Ohno's bangs were swept to the side and fell slightly below his brows, accentuating his soft brown eyes. Anyone who saw Ohno would not have mistaken him for anything but a pretty young girl who was out for some fun with her boyfriend. Nino, on the other hand, went out of the castle looking like an ordinary palace servant who was spending his day off with his girlfriend. Ohno still wore a dazed, vacant expression on his face while he calmly took in his surroundings; his gaze often lingering for about a minute or two at a particular stall or attraction, not minding at all, that Nino made him look like a girl...

"What's that over there?" Aiba asked, pointing to a black tent embroidered with silver stars and moons

"Oh, well, that's a fortune-teller's booth" Said Sho "There's a woman inside who tells your fortune with cards and crystal balls"

"But I thought that only Ohno could do that"

"Some also have gifts, but they aren't as strong as Ohno's or his family. Besides, they're mostly for show"

"What do you mean?"

"They only tell you what you want to hear."

"Oh... Let's try it, anyway!"

"Why? What for?"

"I want them to tell us that we'll end up married!" Aiba exclaimed, pulling a blushing Sho towards the booth, with Jun, Nino and Ohno snickering behind them.

While the two had their fortunes told, Jun, Nino and Ohno were left to wander by themselves.

"Have you ever been to one of these before?" Nino asked Jun

"Once or twice, when I was younger. It was really fun back then... up until my powers were awakened." Jun reminisced, "What about you, hasn't your dad ever taken you here before?"

"We'd be present during the opening ceremonies like we usually are, while my father officiates but he never really allowed us outside the castle... Well, my mom, along with a bunch of guards tried to sneak us out once, but she found that Yuki and I were too much to handle. Once we were inside the fairgrounds we ran like crazy and my mother was afraid she'd lose us. It took them around an hour to find Yuki and around two hours to find me. I remember wandering into the tent that had the freaks in it, and being pulled out in the middle of the show. After that, we've never been allowed to attend."

"I see..."

"I've always liked the food here." Ohno spoke out of the blue, “I remember the candied apples that they used to sell. They were really good. After that, my dad would play games and win prizes for us. He used to take us here every year until we were 12..."

"What happened? Why did he stop?"

"His visions ... most of us don't have any control over it when it comes... It reached the point when he was no longer aware of where or when it was because he kept mixing up the present with the future. There came a time when he was so disoriented because he saw all the possible futures that could happen and it gave him debilitating headaches... He couldn't hold anything down and he often had high fevers."

"Has that ever happened to you?" Nino asked.

"Not as bad. I guess you could say I'm one of the few whose powers are a bit weak. Not that it bothers me though. After the last thing I saw--" 

"There's candied apples over there! Let's go have some." Nino pointed at a random stall, leading Ohno by the hand.

"There's also a booth over there that gives toys to those that can shoot the most balls into the hoops. Let's try that one after!" Jun added, trying to maintain their festive mood.

The three headed towards the merchant's stall, determined to make the good mood last as long as they can. Their hopes for a worry free night, however, were crushed the moment the merchant decided to unload on them ...

"See that big star over there?" The old lady began, her spindly finger pointing at the meteor, ”all the astronomers tell you that it's some sort of big celestial event, like it's a happy thing," she sighed, "if you ask me, I think they're covering up for some big disaster. My old uncle always used to tell me that nothing good can ever come from those comets. My farm hasn't yielded as much crops as they used to, and all my apples are smaller this year... Oh, what am I saying? You kids best enjoy the night while you can. Don't mind an old lady like me, go out and have fun..." She said, handing the boys their change with a wry smile, before waving them off dismissively.

The three walked away feeling lonelier than they had when they entered the fairgrounds. They halfheartedly nibbled at their apples while they sat in silence at an empty bench, waiting for Sho and Aiba to emerge from the fortune teller's booth.

"Even if we don't tell them, they'll know anyway..." Jun mumbled glumly to his barely eaten apple.

"What is this all for? We couldn't really do anything in the end." Nino replied, wishing that they hadn't entertained such a silly whim to begin with.

Ohno merely looked at his half-eaten apple, twirling the stick between his fingers while he leaned his head on Nino's shoulder and squeezed his hand reassuringly. 

After a few moments, Sho and Aiba emerged from the tent, not looking as happy as they would have expected the pair to be. They were half-hoping that Aiba would be twice as giddy after some great news of marriage and a prosperous life, (as most fortune tellers were wont to tell their clients.) while Sho would come out blushing and stuttering as Aiba recounted the experience. Instead, Aiba came out looking a little confused and a bit sad; Sho mirrored Aiba's expression and wore an uneasy smile on his face.

"So, how did it go?" asked Jun

"Well, it was kind of weird" said Aiba "She said we were going to be married someday... then she said we better enjoy this night while it lasts."

"The woman told us to have all the fun that we can...while we can. Her readings were a bit halfhearted and her well wishes felt a little forced," Sho added "It's almost as if--"

"They know." Nino interrupted, "all of our cover ups won't deceive them, and all of them are practically just waiting for the meteor to hit. They don't give a damn what the palace says."

"I know."

"I think we should be going home." Said Jun, "the hopelessness in this place is getting too heavy for me."

"I thought you blocked them out" said Aiba.

"There are some things I couldn't block out even if I knew how," said Jun, "just looking at their faces would be enough to tell me what we already know."

The five walked home, each lost in their own thoughts as they made their way towards the temple where they'd be staying the night. Just before they entered the grounds, however, Nino decided to stop and sit in a clearing that stood near a small pond reflecting the night sky.

"Shouldn't we be going?" asked Ohno who sat beside him

"Let's just stay here for a while" Nino replied, resting his head on Ohno's lap while the other three took their places around the pair.

Nino closed his eyes and pictured a clear midnight sky where the full moon shone brightly, surrounded by a vast number of stars and constellations. The air around them shimmered for a while and the pond slowly started to mirror the sky's new image. Nino further strengthened his enchantment, stretching out his fingers to trace different glyphs and patterns in the air. One by one, shooting stars zipped across the sky and soon there was a shower of silvery lights that sparkled and faded. Nino opened his eyes to find the others sitting in silence and staring wistfully at the sky and its impressive display of lights.

"I wish we'd all make it through this somehow..." Aiba spoke softly, his brown eyes reflecting the vibrant lights of the meteor shower...

The following morning went on uneventfully with the scorching sun beating down their backs as they trudged back to the palace. After receiving news from the astronomers, Sho and Nino did their best to hide their apprehension around Jun, though they knew that Jun had grown to trust them enough not to use his abilities on them. Jun, perhaps, was the biggest obstacle to their plans. They could never really tell when Jun's shields were up, or when he left himself open. There had already been several occasions when they almost left themselves open to Jun's scrutiny, and it was something that should not happen again; not when the lives of their friends depended on it.

The thought of the deadline occupied most of Nino's thoughts, and for the past few hours, he had thought of nothing but gathering the ingredients for the potion. 

**********

 

Without a definite date to beat, Nino's anxiety grew. The signs were all around him, yet he didn't know the exact date when the blasted meteor would strike. There had been droughts, plagues and several deaths in the city alone; each day, they woke up to news of similar tragedies happening to different people. Eriol's six pupils had not even bothered to come to their lessons the following weeks because they were convinced it was futile and delusional to even try and fool the people that this was not happening, and the old wizard could not blame them. Eriol later revealed that he was merely humoring the King who somehow clung to a false hope that he could save his people, and for a time, even he had convinced himself that there was some hope in all of this... 

"So, what about the Key?" Nino prodded the old wizard for answers.

"Even if Yuki did manage to traverse alternate dimensions, she will not be able to take any of us." The Wizard replied, “in each journey only its wielder survives... in which case, I hope your sister manages to save herself." Eriol shook his head wistfully, “I am deeply sorry for having fooled you. It was not my intention."

"I understand." Nino replied, keeping mum on their plans to freeze the other three.

Five months... five months, and the effects would be felt in as early as three. Nino thought, anxiously...

***********

Two months had already passed and the people around them have already succumbed to hopelessness. Some had chosen to kill themselves while some, who were in fervent denial, reverted back to old faiths, offering sacrifices and prayers to nameless gods that wouldn't hear their pleas.

Aiba decided to return home and spend his last days with his family, only to find an empty lot with the bodies of his animal friends slain by the manic villagers who offered them as a sacrifice to their pagan gods. Nothing remained of his old home, not even a small trinket was left behind to tell him that his family had been there. The rose garden behind his house had been burned to the ground, and for that single moment, he regretted not being able to say goodbye to his favorite rose; the prickly one that reminded him of Jun. Aiba returned to the castle teary eyed and inconsolable, hoping that somehow, his family had escaped the clutches of the angry villagers. Nino watched helplessly as Aiba cried his heart out to Sho, who devoted his complete attention in making sure that Aiba received all the comfort he needed.

The other two had somewhat similar stories.Ohno had walked for three straight days from his home without stopping to rest or eat until he had reached the palace. He arrived a day after Aiba's return, with news that his family had decided to poison themselves, holding in his hands a crumpled note written in his father's handwriting... 

"Nino, he knew..." Ohno sobbed "He wrote that he was sorry he couldn't make it with me" Ohno uttered in a harsh whisper as he collapsed into Nino's arms, crying himself to exhaustion and falling into a troubled sleep.

Jun, fled back to the palace two days after, and arrived at the palace terrified and out of sorts. His white shirt was grimy and bloodstained, and his face was pale as he doubled over and vomited all over the floor.

"Jun! What happened?" Yuki, Nino, and Sho immediately came to Jun's aid as soon as he had entered the palace.

"They killed them. They killed all of them, and they're after me..." Jun shivered. With his shields down, Jun felt the full effect of the mindless terror that gripped the villagers. His family had apparently been accused of lying and covering up for the King, and had thus been labeled traitors that must be slain. He fled from the scene, careful not to arouse any suspicion from the villagers and broke into a run as soon as he had approached the palace gates. Sho immediately wrapped Jun in his arms and proceeded to heal the distressed empath, letting his warmth flow into Jun's frail body, untangling the confused mess in his mind and restoring some semblance of calmness. Aiba and Ohno helped Sho clean up Jun's wounds while Nino and Yuki ordered the servants to bring him warm food and a clean change of clothes.

The rest of the weeks were spent nursing the three back to health and offering them as much comfort as they can. Neither of them had enough energy to talk and spent much of their time grieving in silence, with one of them occasionally breaking into crying spells that would last for an hour or two before they retreated back into their shells, or went into their rooms to be alone. Each time one of them would break into sobs Nino, Sho, or Yuki would be there to offer their shoulders for comfort and embrace them tightly while they cried.

It was not what Sho or Nino had in mind, yet in a selfish way, they were grateful that they didn't have to scheme to get their friends to ingest the potion. If it all had turned out differently for the three, none of them would even think of returning to the castle and all of them would have died with their families. Nino and Sho would have probably abandoned their plans and done the same, and Nino guessed that Yuki would not have bothered using the staff at all.

*****

Outside, the situation was not any better. With only a few weeks left, most of the palace guards had either run off to join their families, or had their hands full with fending off crazed and angry citizens. In a matter of days, even Nino's family had fallen to madness. The six spent the few remaining weeks hidden inside one of the castle's larger guest rooms, far from the King who had lost his mind to despair and was determined to take his family down with him. Nino's father was set on destroying the castle, randomly setting things on fire with a big torch, and flinging objects out of the window while heavily drunk on wine. Eriol and the Queen led the six into a safe hiding place and dismissed all of the palace servants who wanted to spend their last days with their loved ones, but offered the castle's protection (or what little it could provide) to those who wished to stay, or sought shelter from the angry mob lying in wait outside its gates...

*****

Inside the cold and empty room,Nino and the others sat huddled, fearful in their silence as they waited for the mad king to find them. 

After a while, Nino spoke up:

"I'll place an enchantment on the room so that he won't find it." He said "I'll even make us invisible to him, so he won't be able to see us even if he gets here..."

Nino's small announcement was met with silence. Jun, Ohno, and Aiba stared vacantly at the heavy burgundy drapes covering the window in front of them while Yuki, similarly lost in her own thoughts, fiddled about with the Key that was currently in its shrunken form. Sho, on the other hand was busy looking around. For a guest room, the place was big enough for more than four people to live in, and it offered most of the comforts that one would normally find in a smaller house.

Nino decided to diffuse some of his nervous energy and began pacing about the small place. As he reached the door he took a deep breath and recited a spell that would make its target believe he had arrived at a dead end, and as he promised, cast an enchantment on himself and on his companions that would render them invisible to the King if he ever managed to find them. Nino continued walking around the room with his hands in his pockets, fingering the small vials containing the potion.

Out of a morbid curiosity, Nino stopped at the window and lifted the drapes to take a peek. He stood planted on his feet as he numbly looked on at the devastation happening outside. Fires raged on, burning the tall trees and the once green grass of the garden where they spent lazy summer afternoons, and where Yuki's cat was buried. Dead bodies of both people and animals lay scattered, and some were already being consumed by the fire that was rapidly approaching their palace. Several loyal guards tried in vain to put the fire out with the scant water they had gathered from a nearby well, whose supply of water was probably already depleted. Moments later, Nino felt a hand brush against his shoulder, and a mop of unruly curls suddenly blocked his vision. Sho had gotten up from his perch and was soon followed by the rest, all of them watching the chaos from the safety of their little room, trapped and unable to do anything while the world outside was being burnt to cinders. 

Nino's eyes met Sho's and both decided that it was time. 

The two broke away from the group and retreated to a small kitchen located inside the guest room, while the others continued to watch from the window. Luckily for them, the kitchen was well stocked, even though times had been hard and there was scarcely any food outside. None of them, Nino guessed, seemed to be in any mood to eat, so he took a bottle of wine instead and prepared six glasses for them to drink in. 

"So..."

"This is it, then?"

"Yeah..."

"What was it you said about watching the world explode?" Nino tried for some light banter to ease their mood, still uncertain about what they were about to do, but ultimately convinced that they were right.

"I said it might be fun..." Sho replied, forcing a smile on his face.

"Well... I prepared a big show, especially for you, since you missed out on most of my performances..."

"I'll be looking forward to it..."

Nino poured generous amounts of red wine into each glass, nearly filling it to the brim, but leaving enough room for the potion. 

"Now for the final ingredient..." 

Nino fished out a small silver blade from his robes and made a deep cut on his forefinger, letting the blood drip onto the three glasses containing the potion. He then handed the knife to Sho who did the same, and had afterwards healed their fingers. The wine changed its color from a dark red to a slightly purplish hue after their blood had been added. They waited for a moment or two until the wine returned to its original color, after which, Sho handed Aiba, Ohno, and Jun their glasses while Nino quickly scribbled a note to Yuki.  
All six drank their wine at the same time, finishing it in one gulp as a toast to all the good times they've shared. Moments later, Jun's empty glass slipped from his grip, shattering to the floor in a million tiny fragments...

"Jun?" Yuki asked

"I..." Jun started, "I can't ..."

"JUN!" Yuki screamed in panic as Jun collapsed into Yuki's arms, stiff and unmoving with his eyes wide open. Ohno and Aiba soon followed suit and Yuki found herself in a state of deep distress, looking at Nino for help as her younger brother stood there, watching.

"Nino, help me! I don't know what's happening!"

"Yuki..." Nino began awkwardly

"Nino, please!"

"I'm sorry, big sister. I'll make up for it, I promise." Nino said as he handed Yuki a small, folded piece of paper.

"What's this all about?" Yuki demanded."Sho, what about you? You'll help me, right? You can cure them..."

"I'm sorry, Yuki... We're counting on you. If we see each other again, I'll definitely make up for it."

"What's the meaning of this?!" Yuki cried, clutching at the crumpled note in her hands, with Jun still lying limp in her arms. When Yuki looked up, she found herself alone with the still forms of Aiba, Jun, and Ohno...

Nino had cast a spell on himself and Sho, and made themselves invisible to everyone as the warily made their way outside the palace gates.

"Remember that show, I promised you?"

"Yes, I'm looking forward to it. This better be great."

"You bet it will..."


	19. Transitions

Nino and Sho trudged wearily along the cobbled path leading out of the palace, each step weighing heavily on their hearts as they tried not to run back while Yuki's panicked screams echoed throughout the long and dark hallway. 

Fighting to hold back the tears, they bravely walked out into the open fields where the overpowering stench of blood mingled with the smell of charred flesh. Outside the palace gates, the chorus of heartbreaking wails and the manic screams of the confused mob reverberated loudly in their ears and sent goose bumps prickling along their skin. The sunset sky was splashed in a glaring red orange and lined with thick, sinister streams of grayish black smog which rose from the growing fire that consumed acres of land along with the carcasses of people and animals alike. From a distance, Nino could make out the deep and haunting wail of a lone dog, strangely alive despite all the chaos that consumed the land. The dog's lament pierced through Nino's heart and he felt as though the dog took it upon itself to mourn the dead and the dying.

Unconsciously, Nino's hand went up to brush off a stray tear that slid down his cheeks. Turning his head to the left, he saw Sho walking a few paces behind him in mute shock as he surveyed the destruction that was happening around them. Terror was outlined in Sho's pallid face, and Nino knew that if he didn't stop Sho, he would easily lose himself in the mob's frenzy and try to save the millions who were in the clutches of death, all by himself.

"Sho! Sho, stay with me!" Nino gripped Sho's arm tightly and yanked him back to his side just as Sho was about to run.

"Nino... they're... Why? It's awful!" Sho broke out in a harsh whisper, as he slowly turned to face Nino, looking at him with imploring eyes as though Nino knew the answers.

“I don't know Sho. I don't know..." Nino's voice cracked as he held Sho in a tight embrace, tears freely streaming down his face as he sobbed openly into Sho's robes. "We did the right thing, didn't we, Sho? Ohno and the others... they wouldn't have to go through this..."

"Aiba... Aiba will be safe. Yuki will save them." Sho's trembling arms wrapped themselves tightly around Nino's frail form. “We did good..." Sho mumbled words into Nino's hair as they stood holding one another amid the death and devastation around them.

"Close your eyes, Sho. I have one last promise to fulfill..." Nino briefly pulled back from the embrace to look at Sho's puffy eyes. “I have a show to do, remember?" Nino managed a wry smile despite the pain that weighed heavily on his chest.

"Okay. One last time. Make it good" Sho sniffled, closing his eyes as Nino began working his enchantment.

Nino closed his eyes, trying hard to clear his mind of the smells and the noise as he focused on weaving his last enchantment. Little by little, the angry red glare of the afternoon sky began to fade and was slowly being replaced by the refreshing baby blue of spring's early morning. A lemon-yellow sun peeked from behind a curtain of fluffy white clouds, lending the place a soft, fuzzy glow. Lush and vibrant greenery spread over the blackened cinders like a carpet of freshly cut grass. Here and there, patches of flowers bloomed in their cheeriest springtime colors, and the tall, strong trees that surrounded the palace were revived, once more, by Nino's vivid imagination.

Underneath the trees, the outlines of five figures began to take shape. The first was of a tall lanky boy, dressed in a loose cream robe. His short strawberry blonde hair fell in soft layers, framing a small triangular face, set with expressive brown eyes that crinkled whenever he smiled. On his right shoulder, a small brown squirrel was perched, holding a berry in its small paws and giving it a nibble every now and then. Beside this boy sat another, whose striking beauty stood out despite his sullenness. Ringlets of wavy black hair fell neatly around his small face, outlining his pale, ivory skin. The boy sat reclined, resting his weight on the thick trunk of the tall tree as he fanned himself from the heat, while his companion cheerfully chattered on. To the boy's right, a tall girl in a white dress lay sprawled across the green grass. Her black hair fanned out like a halo around her head, her arm resting across her forehead as she tried to shield her eyes from the sun's rays. 

To the far left was a young man sitting contentedly with a sketchbook in hands and a serene expression on his face. He sat, facing the other three, who were busy enjoying some idle time while his hands busily sketched the idyllic scene before him. It was nearly summer and the air was warm and sticky, it also marked the time of the harsh and rigorous training that had just begun for the six. It had been the time when they were still adjusting to each other's presence, each one trying to sense where they stood with one another, and being careful not to tread on each other's toes. This day also marked the first real break they've had in a long while...

"You can open your eyes now."

"Oh! It’s our first picnic together. I remember this so well..." Sho exclaimed; his eyes wide open in amazement as he took in the scene before him, "Aiba thought of the whole thing..."

"He did, didn't he? Which kind of explains how prepared we were..." Nino smirked

"Yes. Jun said it was silly, even Yuki was against it at first... I remember how insistent Aiba was about having fun...He climbed up the trees himself and got all of us an apple."

"And Jun was about to protest too, except that Ohno already accepted the apple, and the rest of us just sort of followed suit...We didn't even have a blanket. Yuki just lay on the grass, and you were busy telling her how angry our mother would be if she got her dress dirty."

"Well, eventually we all didn't care that we got muddy..."

"Yeah... after that bit of wrestling you had with Aiba after he pushed you into the pond!"

"It was hot! You jumped in too."

"After I stopped paying attention to your hen-pecking..."

"And you pushed Jun into the pond after you got out."

"Hey! He was avoiding Aiba who was busy chasing him and was about to get his clothes wet. It wasn't my fault he went near me. Besides, he needed to cool off..."

"Ohno didn't even need any persuasion. He jumped right in...What was he doodling in that sketchbook..." Sho asked his companion whose gaze was currently directed at the said boy.

Ohno was busy sketching his friends, oblivious to the smoldering heat and the disinterest of Yuki, and Jun, who merely nodded their acknowledgement as Aiba carried on a conversation by himself. The features of Ohno's childlike face--the chubby cheeks, the light pink of his lips, and the subtle and steady strength in his eyes that never wavered, had all been burned into Nino's memories. He remembered sitting beside Ohno contentedly, watching the artist as he was lost in a Zen-like trance while his hands captured the beauty of the scenery, down to the tiniest detail.

"...This was when you fell in love with Ohno, wasn't it?" Sho smiled, stating a realization, rather than a fact.

"Yes." Nino replied simply, his cheeks tinged with pink.

"...Do you really think we can make it?" Sho asked, himself, lost in Aiba's image as Aiba began dragging a hesitant Sho into the pond.

"We need to, and they'll find us. It's the only way..." Nino's brows furrowed his eyes resolute.

"I believe you..." Sho replied, frowning slightly as though he had swallowed something bad.

All of a sudden, Sho started coughing violently. His hands clutched at his chest as his breathing became more labored and irregular.

"Sho?! What's happening?"

"Smog... I think I inhaled too much" Sho replied in between fits. "You cast a great spell..."

"Oh no..." Soon enough, Nino started coughing himself. The illusion of a tranquil spring afternoon shattered into a million pieces, bringing them back to the dreary world of death and violence that lurked beneath. They had strayed too far into the smog, and the flames had surrounded them. There was no way out. Sho had inhaled too much of the thick smog and was already suffocating. Both boys knelt down, keeping their faces close to the ground in an attempt to breathe cleaner air but it was too late.

"Sho..."

"I'll see you there, Nino..." The monk lost consciousness and collapsed, his eyes closed as though he were in a peaceful slumber. 

Nino struggled to keep his eyes open, but soon began losing consciousness as he lay curled up beside Sho. Beneath him, he thought he felt the ground quake. He also felt the heat as the flames started licking the edges of his robes. It was only a second more until his final thoughts were extinguished and Nino heaved his last breath, giving in to the peaceful darkness that death offered...

****  
.  
.  
.

It was a rather rude way to get his soul back to his body, Nino thought, his eyes snapping open as he gasped for air, feeling as though he had just broken through the surface after hours of swimming upwards. Nino familiarized himself with his surroundings as he sat, drenched in sweat and still trying to catch his breath. He was in one of the rooms of Yuki's sanctuary, and they had been trying to reawaken his memories, for god knows how long. Right across where he sat, Yuki looked at Nino with very tired eyes. She was unusually pale, and like Nino, she was also covered in sweat. Yuki seemed to have difficulties sitting upright and she looked as though she may collapse at any moment...

"Yuki... are you okay?"

"Yeah. Fine... just need to sleep a while..." Yuki replied, breathless, "The circle's already broken; you can go in and out of it now."

"Yuki," Nino asked, agitated, "can I go in and out of this room without the Key? You're looking bad, and I'm not the healer here. We might need to get you to a doctor or something."

"I'll be fine... Just wore myself out... barely any magic left... all up to you now..." Yuki whispered, her unfocused eyes sliding shut, before she fell onto the cold floor of the prayer room.

"Yuki!" Nino stood up unsteadily and scrambled on to Yuki's side. He tried shaking his sister awake, but it was all to no avail. Yuki had a pulse, much to Nino's relief but her body felt hot to the touch. It seemed like Yuki had developed a very high fever and Nino knew that this only happened when Yuki had either too much magic in her system or too little, and for each time that this occurred, Sho had been summoned to heal her.   
Nino could only hope that his stash of over the counter medicines (which he fervently prayed, he had stuffed in his knapsack,) could work on his sister. He also needed to get Yuki out of the room... 

Nino draped one of Yuki's arms over his shoulder and pulled Yuki up with him as he stood. The Key, much to his relief had shrunk back into its miniature form. Kneeling slightly, Nino used his free hand to pick the key up from the floor and conveniently placed it in his pocket. With what little strength he had, he was able to drag Yuki into the living room and lay her down on the sofa while he took a short break, wishing that one of the spectres would come out to serve him a cup of warm tea. Yuki lay limply on the couch; unaware of what was happening around her while Nino sat on one of the armchairs, fiddling with the small key in his pocket. Deciding to give it a try, Nino stood up and approached the door. He didn't quite remember what Yuki said when they entered the sanctuary, then again, he didn't recall doing anything special the first time he got out of it...

*****

Sho woke up with a start, sitting up and clutching his chest as his eyes snapped open. His clothes were drenched in sweat, and so was his bed. The greenish numbers of the digital clock by his bedside read 10:40 AM. It was a weekend, and in two days time, he'd be going back to Yuki's shop to do a short feature on them. The morning began fuzzily for Sho who had, for the third time, found himself saddled uncomfortably in between sleep and wakefulness. The nightmares of his childhood have resurfaced and had begun haunting him once more-- unfortunately, he was recalling them in more vivid details than he cared to remember. Sho's breathing was ragged and uneven as he cradled his aching head in his trembling hands.

It's a dream. It's just a bad dream... Sho yanked off the blanket and swung both legs off his bed as he got up barefoot, and unsteadily wobbled his way into the kitchen for a glass of cold water. A shaky hand reached for a tall glass and placed it on the small table while another reached in to get a bottle of cold water inside the fridge, pouring most of its contents all over the table while the glass was only left half full.

Who are these people and why are they in my nightmares? Sho wondered, about to take his first sip when the glass slipped from his hands and fell onto the floor, shattering into sharp fragments and cutting the skin of his feet.

"Oh crap!" Sho bent down, careful to remove the slivers of glass wedged between his skin, cursing the fact that he forgot to wear his house slippers and making sure he didn't step on any more or injure himself any further as blood began to pool around his right foot...

"Oh god. No. What the hell is happening?!" As soon as he had removed the sliver of glass embedded in his skin, Sho watched deliriously, as the torn skin began knitting itself together, leaving no trace of the wound that was once there. Sho removed another piece of glass and once more the wound began to heal itself. He repeated the experiment several times, and in each instance the wound would close and heal perfectly. Sho went into the bathroom to rinse off the dried blood, hoping to find at least a scab to prove that a wound was once there only to find that his foot was perfectly normal.

On the cold, wet floor of his small bathroom, Sho curled up, hugging his knees to his chest and unconsciously began to rock himself...


	20. Intersections

Mari had spent the better part of 30 minutes rapping her knuckles raw on Sho's front door, yelling his name at the top of her lungs, every 5 minutes or so, for good measure. Her brother usually slept like a log after a long and tiring day; otherwise the slightest noise would be enough to rouse him from sleep.

From what Sho told her over the phone, he spent a relaxing evening chatting away with the owner of the posh boutique, 'Smitten,' over a filling dinner of Italian cuisine, followed by a serving of delicious crepes for which her small, but flourishing cafe was fast becoming famous. Sho, she surmised, had no reason to be tired. It had even been his idea to have her over during the weekend to discuss the consignment of her accessories to Yuki's shop. Mari huffed impatiently, twirling a long wavy lock around a manicured finger as she waited a few more minutes for Sho to come to the door. As it was, several of Sho's neighbors had already poked their heads out of their doors and had given Mari an angry glare for ruining their plans of sleeping in on what was supposed to be a restful Saturday morning.

5 more minutes elapsed, and Mari was getting alarmed. If Sho wasn't home, the landlord would have told her. When her brother wanted her to drop by, or to pick something up while he was away, he usually left his spare keys with the landlord who gave them to Mari when she came. Mari's gut told her that her older brother was inside and she had a feeling that something was very, very wrong.

"Sorry Sho, but this is your fault..." Mari took a few steps back, pulling her long, flowing skirt up her to her knees as jumped up and kicked the door in. With a loud thud, the locked door swung open, nearly falling loose from its hinges.

"I'll pay you, I promise. Just be okay..." Mari mumbled to herself as she strode into Sho's apartment, much to the awe of the whole neighborhood who watched the whole spectacle with their mouths agape.

Once inside, Mari switched the lights on and surveyed her surroundings. Everything seemed to be in place-- the house was mostly spotless, nothing of value had been stolen, and the shoe rack placed near the front door had no pairs missing. Mari moved along, making her way to Sho's bedroom when she noticed a small light coming from the bathroom. Her heart skipped a beat as she cautiously moved to the dining area where the door to the small fridge was left open. As she approached the fridge, she noticed tiny fragments of broken glass scattered all over the floor, soaked in a pool of blood and an almost empty bottle of water left on the small (and very wet) table. It was at this point, that Mari truly began to panic.

"Sho? Sho, where are you?!" Mari screamed, skipping over the broken glass, following the faint trail of blood that led to the small bathroom.

"Sho! What happened? Are you okay?" Mari exclaimed, confused and somewhat relieved to find her brother sitting curled up, on the cold and wet tiles.

Sho, briefly snapping out of his daze, slowly turned his head towards Mari.

"Mari..." Sho whispered, hugging his knees tightly towards his chest.

"What happened?" Mari asked softly, her brown eyes wide with concern as she sat beside Sho, paying no mind that her sky blue skirt was getting drenched by the damp tiles. "Why is there blood on the floor? Did someone hurt you?"

"No, the glass... it fell on my foot and it broke..." Sho exhaled shakily, shoulders drooping ever so slightly as Mari squeezed his arm.

Mari inched forward to examine Sho's feet, "your foot seems fine... it isn't bleeding anymore." Mari turned a puzzled look at Sho.

"That's the problem," Sho whispered "there isn't even a cut..."

"Sho... What?" Mari's brows furrowed as she moved to get a closer look at his foot. To her amazement, not even the smallest trace of a scar could be seen to prove that it had been wounded; if anything, Sho's skin looked even healthier.

While Mari understood why her older brother was scared out of his wits, she, however, was confused, and a tad surprised to find the situation eerily familiar. Right now though, she could not recall when it happened or what it was. A nagging sense of déjà vu was eating her up...

"Let's go. It's cold and damp in here, you might get sick." Mari pulled her brother up with her as she stood. "Spend the night with us. Mom and dad miss you, you know"

"Yeah. Okay" Sho replied, still shivering slightly while Mari led him into his bedroom.

"You go get changed, okay? I'll clean this up."

"Yes"

"Oh, um... I broke your door."

"Huh?"

"Nothing I can't fix. Let's just have your locks changed and we're ready to go, okay? Go on now." Mari hurriedly replied as she ushered her brother into his room, before zipping back into the kitchen.

***  
While Sho tidied himself up in the bedroom, Mari was busy cleaning the kitchen floor. She was careful to avoid cutting herself with the tiny shards of glass, which she neatly swept into the dust pan and had afterwards deposited onto several sheets of newspaper, rolling it into a ball before throwing it into the trash bin. She mopped up the dried blood distractedly, her thoughts consumed with the one thing that seems to have slipped her grasp.

This is weird. I know I should be freaking out, but I'm not... I know it's supposed to be strange, so why am I not scared?

....

Sho has superpowers!

...

Superpowers...

***

Done with the cleaning, Mari sat on the couch and fetched her phone from her brown leather bag. She had kicked the door hard enough to bust the locks; she figured that the hinges might also need some help. Luckily for her, she had one of the best carpenters at her disposal...

"Oi, what happened here?" a familiar voice was heard from outside.

"Um, well I..." Mari began to explain in front of an incredulous landlord.

"Did someone break in?! Who's going to pay for that?!"

"Er... I kicked the door in because Sho wasn't answering?"

"You did what?! Mari, you could have always asked for the spare key! I have it."

"I wasn't really thinking of that at the time..." Mari scratched her head, "I'll pay for it, I promise. I just called the carpenter and he said he'd be here in an hour. My brother's kind of upset about something and I'm going to take him home to spend the night with us"

"Why? What happened?"

"Family thing. I can't really tell you right now"

"Okay then..."

"Will you please, please watch over things while the door's being repaired?" Mari worked her charm on Sho's landlord, “I’m really sorry for the inconvenience, I'll just pay you extra, and you can hand the new keys over to Sho when he comes back, okay?"

The landlord sighed, "Okay, your brother's one of the best tenants I have and he never gave me any trouble. I guess I could do that for you."

"Great! Thanks!" Mari replied, handing over a wad of bills to the landlord who patiently waited for the carpenter to come...

Finally done dressing up, Sho emerged from his bedroom with a small overnight bag. He sat beside Mari on the soft couch in his living room with a slightly dazed look on his face. His eyes lazily wandered onto the broken door and the few splinters of wood scattered on the floor.

"You kicked the door, didn't you..." Sho softly stated in a monotone.

"Er, yes, I was hollering for 30 minutes and nobody was answering. I'm really sorry! I called the carpenter, and your landlord was kind enough to supervise the construction. I already paid for it!" Mari rattled off in a panic, her apology coming out in one breath.

"It's okay..." Sho replied, listless "Thank you, Mari."

Not knowing how to respond, Mari pulled her big brother in for a tight hug. Sho would have normally flown off the handle at such a stunt, but after seeing him curled up inside the bathroom, hugging his knees and rocking himself, Mari's heart broke. She had never seen her brother in such a helpless state and had always remembered him as the kind and gentle older brother who stood in place of their oft absent father. During their younger days, there had been moments when Sho's temper would flare and she and her younger brother would be scared enough to hide under their beds in fear. But as they grew older, Sho matured into the benevolent person they knew and loved. He was soft spoken, intelligent and slow to anger, Mari and Keichi, the youngest of the three, had grown very fond and quite protective of him.

"Let's get going. The car's parked outside. We can just talk about things at home. I'm sure mom will be very happy to see you" Mari said soothingly as she pulled her brother up, holding his hand as she led him out of the door.

"Mari... do you think I'm strange?" Sho said as they made their way into the elevator.

"No, not at all... I found what happened strange, but I don't think you're strange."

"... What if I told you that maybe... maybe I'm not from here, and that maybe I'm not your brother?"

"Don't be stupid. You're my clumsy, clueless, older brother who's always oblivious to the stares he gets from girls... and maybe likes guys." Mari replied, as they stepped out of the elevator and started making their way to her car.

"Thanks..." Sho replied, the slightest hint of a smile forming on his lips. Sho sat beside Mari and strapped on his seatbelt. "But what if I'm..."

"Even if you're an alien from outer space or grew and extra limb or something, you're still my brother. End of argument." Mari smiled, giving Sho's shoulder a reassuring squeeze as she started her car.

****  
They arrived at the mansion in forty minutes. The normally hour long travel time had been significantly reduced due to Mari's formula one- inspired driving, which was accompanied by Sho's backseat driving; his earlier problem temporarily forgotten as he screeched at Mari for almost running four red lights, backing up on the car behind them, and nearly running over a stray cat.

(*What? It appeared out of nowhere!)

Once they had walked through the doors of their house, Sho's mother welcomed him with a warm hug, and congratulated him for surviving Mari's driving. Lunch was being prepared at the Sakurai household, and Mari had retreated to her room to change into dry, comfortable house clothes while Sho did some catching up with his mother, (who didn't quite let on that she knew that something was wrong,) half heartedly rambling on about his work and the interesting people he's met.

Mari's room was big and it also doubled as a craft station where she worked four hours on end with her jewelry designs when she felt inspired. The walls of her room was a shade of lavender, while the ceiling was painted black and littered with glow in the dark stars which she had painstakingly arranged to resemble her favorite constellations. Her bookshelves were lined with various crafting and jewelry books as well as different magazines on fashion and accessories. Mari shared her bed, and its purple bedcovers with several stuffed animals. To her right was her closet and a drawer full of scrap books and assorted knick knacks that she had collected from her childhood. It included interesting sea shells, bottle caps and tissue packets, among other things. To the left was her vanity table, which was mostly bare save for some sunscreen and a few other 'essentials' that her mother insisted on.

Mari dressed like a gypsy most of the time. She was often found wearing long, flowing skirts in pastel colors, matching it with an interesting top. Her long wavy hair fell loose and unkempt, slightly below her shoulders. Two or three bangles often adorned each slender wrist, and her chandelier earrings, which she had designed herself caught the light with its finely cut crystals. She didn't bother with such things as make up unless she felt like it, and would often go out with her face bare, or with only the slightest hint of lip gloss.

Mari was heavily influenced by her mother's fairy tales when she was a lot younger, and she still secretly believes in fairies despite being 22 years old. Mari wasn't sure why, but she knew that something more magical always lurked beneath the surface of this mundane and boring world.

Right now, Mari was rummaging through her drawer (and messing up part of her room in the process, as she carelessly tossed things across her room.) She didn't quite know what she was looking for, but her instinct told her it was there, and it had a lot to do with Sho's earlier problem...

Superpowers.... superpowers

Maybe my brother's an alien...

Why does Sho have superpowers?

Oh my god...

The answer stared Mari in the face and she found it in one of her earliest scrap books, which she made back when she was just six years old. On the third page, an elastic bandage which had never been used was placed behind a transparent plastic cover and framed with pink construction paper that was drawn with purple hearts and blue butterflies. Below the small frame, the words: " My brother's secret " was scrawled in big bold letters with a red crayon...

She and her brother were out playing in the garden. Back then, Keichi had still been a baby and spent most of his time cradled in his mother's arms. Sunny afternoons were usually spent playing tag, or climbing trees, sometimes it included capturing interesting insects or playing with the fish in the small pond. It was almost dinnertime and Mari had been up in a tree with her nose buried in her mother's latest fairytale while Sho was collecting beetles and placing them in match boxes. When one of their servants had called them for dinner, Mari tried to get down from the tree, and in her rush, slipped and fell down, scraping her knee in the process.

Sho was running towards the house when he heard his sister scream...

"Mari! Hurry up, mom's waiting"

"Shooo... my knee, it hurts!" Mari wailed, sobbing. Her small hands, filthy with the moist and nearly muddy soil, rubbed her eyes.

"What happened?" Sho asked, kneeling down and placing the small box of beetles beside him as he began to examine Mari's knee.

"I don't know but it stings..." Mari cried some more. "Make it go away..."

"Oh no, what do I do?" Sho scratched his head, starting to panic as Mari's wails grew louder. "Okay, okay. Don't worry. I'll do something" Sho searched his pockets and found a small elastic bandage which was still in its wrapper. He kept this just in case he ever hurt himself.

"Shooo!" Mari was about to throw a tantrum.

Sho removed the bandage from its wrapping, but in his panic, had forgotten to remove the paper strips. He placed the bandage on Mari's knee, but got quite frustrated when it didn't stick.

"Stupid bandage!" Sho exclaimed, trying to peel the paper off. It was starting to get dark

"Sho... keep your hands on my knee. They're nice and warm." Mari said, her sobbing subsided. Her little hands grabbed one of Sho's hands and pressed it to her knee.

"But..." Sho was about to protest and explain to his sister, when Mari made a face that said she will cry very, very loudly if he didn't do exactly as she wanted. "Oh... okay." Sho scratched his head with his free hand and let Mari do as she wished.

After a few minutes, when Mari was satisfied, she finally let go of Sho's hand.

"Sho! Look, no more!" Mari giggled happily.

"No more what?"

"No more!" she said as her little hands grabbed the unused bandage from Sho. "It's mine now, 'kay?" Mari smiled, placing the unused bandage in her pocket. "Let's go. Dinner time."

"O-okay..." Sho was confused. "Mari, how did you do it?"

"I didn't do anything. It was your hands, they're magic!" Mari said, her problem forgotten as she cradled Sho's hand in her own and pulling her older brother toward the house.

"What? But that doesn't make sense!"

"Kids, dinner time! Hurry up!" Their mother yelled.

"Sho..." Mari stopped abruptly, looking at Sho with imploring eyes.

"Yes?"

"Piggy back!"

"Oh, okay..." Sho obliged by carrying Mari on his back, any further speculation on the incident forgotten after dinner.

Mari, however had been excited enough that night and was all too eager to finish her food. It was then, when she was excused from the table that she rushed to her bedroom, locked the door and began working on her scrap book...

As the years went by, memories became blurred, some had faded, others rewritten. Anything magical or fantastic had been written off as mere childhood fantasy or the result of an overactive imagination. As Mari and Sho grew older they had inevitably forgotten about that small incident which linked Sho with past life.

******

"Sho, Sho, Sho!" Mari bounded out of her bedroom, clutching the nearly dilapidated scrapbook to her chest as she headed straight to the living area where Sho was carrying on an awkward conversation with their mother.

"Mari, what is it?" Their mother asked.

"Um... it's Sho, um.. his foot... er. I need you to see this!" Mari held up her scrapbook.

"Sho...what about your foot? What is Mari talking about?"

Sho grew pale at the thought of answering her question.

"Come now, I know you aren't supposed to be here and I know that something's wrong when you smile so awkwardly when we talk." Their mother prodded.

"Um... well," Sho began to explain, "This morning... I had a nightmare, but it was more like a memory. I've had that nightmare three times now and now I can remember things much more clearly than I used to..."

Their mother's face suddenly grew serious and she also grew more attentive as Sho continued narrating.

"I don't know why, but anyway, I was so shaken up this morning that I woke up with a cold sweat," Sho continued, "so I went to the kitchen to have a drink of water. My hands were shaky so I spilled water all over the table and when I tried to hold the glass, it slipped from my fingers and shattered on the floor. The shards of glass cut my foot and it bled..."

"Go on..."

"I removed the splinters from my foot... and when I removed them, the wounds kind of healed by themselves, and I thought it was impossible, so I went to the bathroom and I washed it... but when I washed it, there was nothing no scratch, no scar, nothing at all."

Sho's mother nodded...

"Mari found me in the bathroom, and she decided to bring me here... Please, I know it sounds impossible but I'm not crazy." Sho finally broke down, a teardrop slipping from his eyes.

"That's all right, dear. I know you're not crazy." Sho's mother gently wrapped her arms around her son. "But I do need to know more about this dream, if you don't mind..."

Mari settled down on the armchair beside Sho curling one leg under the other as their mother began to ask questions...

"Sho, what was your dream about... Was there fire in your dream?"

At the mention of the word 'fire,' Sho visibly shivered. "Well, yes... some parts of my dream were nice, it was like one of those fairy tales that you read to us back then. There were castles and kings and queens... but towards the end, there was a lot of fire and when I wake up, it always feels as though I'm choking."

Sho's mother nodded. "That seems to explain at least some things..."

"What does this have to do with his foot?" Asked Mari, intrigued.

"Well Mari, before you were born, Sho used to have these awful nightmares. He used to wake up in the middle of the night, very scared, often bathed in cold sweat and he'd be crying. He also seemed to be very afraid of fire. He wouldn't even go near a lit candle..."

"Did he also tell you about his dreams when he was younger?" Mari asked.

"No, I couldn't get him to speak at all. When he woke up from his nightmares, he seemed to be speaking some strange language I couldn't make out."

Sho sat quietly as his mother and sister talked.

"So Mari, what's so important about that scrap book?" Their mother asked.

"Well... it doesn't really explain what happened to his foot, but it may have some clues." Mari replied, squeezing herself beside Sho, as she laid the scrap book down his lap, opening it to the page that had the unused bandage.

"This is... I remember this..." Sho trailed off, staring intently at the bandage as he tried to recall when he had last seen it.


	21. The Burden of Memory

After a gargantuan effort on his part, Nino, sleep deprived and barely recovered from an exhausting out-of-body journey, finally managed to drag an unconscious Yuki out of the Dimensional Sanctuary. Much to his relief, the door needed no special spells or incantations to let them out; if his suspicions were correct, Yuki's earlier chanting had more to do with keeping people out rather than trapping them inside. Looking back at how Yuki acted back in the altar room, Nino came to realize that Yuki knew this was going to happen and purposely made sure that there would be a way out.

After pausing to catch his breath, Nino was able to haul Yuki all the way to the lobby, calling out for help as Pierre and Marguerite rushed to his aid and helped him drape Yuki's limp form on the sofa.

"What happened?" Pierre asked.

"Is the mistress all right?" Marguerite overlapped.

"She's passed out; she also seems to have a high fever." Nino replied, beads of sweat running down his neck while he caught his breath. Nino's hands grabbed the knapsack lying on the coffee table and he started rummaging for some over the counter medicines to administer.

Pierre and Marguerite both turned to look at Yuki and exchanged worried, but knowing looks with one another.

"Has this happened before?" Nino asked; his brows furrowed. The servants of Yuki's boutique seemed to be another mystery altogether, but that would have to wait until something could be done about Yuki's fever. Sho would not be around until Monday and there were no guarantees that they'd be able to restore his memories, or if he still had any of his abilities left.

"Yes, it has..." Pierre replied after a long and awkward pause.

"What happened, and how did she recover?"

"Well... your sister, she tried bringing the dolls to life on her own," Marguerite interjected, " the first time that it happened, she was experimenting with Necromancy, and ended up creating me instead..."

"What?! How.... Wait..." Nino inhaled deeply, overwhelmed with the new information, and clearly not armed to process it.

Will this ever, ever end? Nino wanted to throw a tantrum.

"So," Nino began once more, pinching the bridge of his nose, releasing the breath he's held. "How did Yuki recover? Was there anything she took? Any potion, anything?"

"I watched over her for three days, she was asleep most of the time."

"Did she ask you to give her any medicine?"

"I just stood by her side until she awakened." Marguerite replied simply. "I did not know what to do back then."

"I see..." Nino slumped down the armchair adjacent to the sofa, placed his elbows on his knees and rubbed his temples while he thought of a suitable solution that might speed up the healing. "Marguerite," he said, "Can you get us an ice pack to place over her forehead? She's burning up, maybe that would help lower her temperature."

"Of course." Marguerite marched off to the kitchen.

"Is there anything I can help with?" Pierre inquired.

"No, not really. I'd like to ask though, has Yuki ever tried any sort of medicine?"

Pierre scratched his head and thought for a while, "I don't really know about medicine; this is the first time I've heard of it... She seems to be fond of the drink called 'margarita' though, should I get her some?"

"Aah, no, no. That's okay. I would like some water though, if you don't mind, and maybe a cup of coffee for me."

"Certainly." Pierre replied, following Marguerite to the kitchen.

Nino reclined in the armchair, rubbing his bleary, bloodshot eyes and stifling a yawn while he waited for Marguerite to arrive with the ice pack. The digital watch strapped on his wrist told him that it was already 1:30 in the afternoon, and that they had spent nearly four hours unlocking his sealed memories inside the sanctuary (even though it seemed like years to him.) Though much of his questions have been answered, plenty of things have happened in his absence and he didn't know how it would affect the final outcome, or if it even mattered at all. All he knew was that he needed to get in touch with Sho and that they needed to figure out a way to 'unfreeze' the dolls, knowing that the original ingredients for the antidote might not even exist in this dimension...

"I have the ice pack. What should I do now?"

"Here's the water you requested, and a cup of brewed coffee for you."

"Thank you, Pierre, Marguerite. I think I'll handle things from here."

Nino placed the glass of water on the table and took the pack from Marguerite. Nino then knelt in front of Yuki, placing the cold bag on her forehead. Yuki shuddered; hissing through her teeth, once the pack made contact with her burning skin. After a few moments, Yuki's brows furrowed and her lips twitched slightly while a pair of heavy eyes struggled to open themselves.

"C-cold..."

"Yuki..."

"P-put that s-stupid thing away..." Yuki stuttered, and managed a weak glare at Nino's direction as she tried swatting his hands away from her forehead.

"And you call me stubborn," Nino grinned, breathing a sigh of relief. Yuki though not completely healed, was at least conscious, "You have a fever, and Sho's not here to cure you. I have some fever medication with me; I thought they'd help a little, along with the ice pack."

"What?"

"Would taking medication affect your magic in any way? I've tried them before and they helped. Then again I don't really think I have magic now, at least not in this world. Anyway, it's worth a try, unless you want to be miserable for three days..."

"You're not stuffing some slimy potion down my throat." Yuki replied, not fully comprehending what Nino just said.

"No need for potions, this one's a pill and you drink it with water. You have to sit up a little to swallow it though."

"Can I drink it with vodka instead?" Yuki grinned.

"No, are you insane?! And where the hell did you get vodka anyway?"

"Oh, you learn a lot of things on the internet, and the woman whose mind I borrowed had a lot of really interesting experiences." Yuki managed a weak smile, attempting to lighten the mood.

"Only junkies drink their meds with alcohol. There's a glass of water over there, drink that instead."

"Okay, party pooper. You're sounding a lot like Sho..." Yuki replied, struggling to push herself up to a sitting position with Nino's assistance. Once she was sitting up properly, Nino handed her a little red pill, and the glass of water.

"I know about pills and medicines and those scary needle things... injections... “Yuki reflected, looking at the small, red object in her palm, "this is the first time I've actually had to take one."

"Everyone has had to take one or more of them at some point in their lives. It's like the potions and herbs that mom used to give us when we were sick..."

"Even those needle things?"

"Yup"

"Was it painful?"

"It was like being bitten by an ant, although when I was younger it seemed a lot more painful than that..."

Yuki shuddered. "Anyway, I just swallow this with water, right?"

"Yes"

"Interesting..." Yuki held the tiny pill up to the light, rolling the capsule between her fingers before popping it into her mouth and pushing it down with the glass of water.

"It should take effect in a few minutes."

"Then I'll be okay?"

"I hope so..."

"Pills are much better than potions...none of that slimy stuff that leaves a bitter aftertaste on your tongue..." she smiled.

”So, what do you plan to do now?" Yuki carefully placed the glass of water back on the coffee table and leaned back on the sofa's soft foam. Staying upright still took some effort, and her pallid complexion was an indication of how well she was doing.

"Well, I have to get Sho here first... and I have to make him remember somehow" Nino yawned, stretching his arms. "I remember the antidote quite well, but I'm not sure I could find the ingredients here... if the pill works on you we might have some hope."

"What do you mean by that?"

"If the medicine in this world works on you, then we'll just have to find the equivalent of the antidote's ingredients here. Sho should help me figure things out... I can't do it alone because the antidote requires our blood for it to work; at least we already have that ingredient here."

"I see..." Yuki nodded, her eyes distant and contemplative, "Nino, I may not have enough energy to tap into Sho's memories. I'm not even sure I'd be well enough to face him on Monday. If your brilliant mind could come up with any plan at all to bring them back, I'd sure like to hear it."

"Not just yet, but I'll come up with something." Nino sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "Looks like your fever's beginning to break, at least you're sweating now." Nino smiled. "I'll go check on Ohno and the others."

"Aren't you tired?" Yuki asked "You look like hell, maybe you should sleep first."

"I've had less sleep during my exams." Nino reassured his sister as he got up and walked towards the window display. "Don't worry about me."

I'm worried about you for an entirely different reason, idiot. Yuki thought helplessly as she watched her brother walk away. You really are stubborn sometimes...

*****

Nino had always confronted a challenge head on, but it had never been out of an eagerness to prove himself. Truth be told, he was quite lazy in his own way and would much rather avoid unnecessary confrontations if he could. Nino was complicated, but he didn't enjoy complications. Most of the time he treated a challenge as something to be done and over with so he could get on with his life... unless it was a video game that had some really cool prize as a reward.

He didn't quite know what he was getting himself into the moment he got up from his seat, but he did have an inkling of what he was about to face. His groggy mind slowly woke up from one realization to the next as he walked towards the three they had left behind...

What were we thinking back then...?

Each step he took closer to the three filled him with a sense of dread. His nervousness reached its peak as he finally reached the display window, facing the backs of Jun, Ohno, and Aiba, who were currently posed in their casual wear, and made to look as though they were enjoying an afternoon in the sun while their dull eyes looked out from the frame of their small window.

I could have chosen to do nothing at all and spared them this...

Nino stood frozen in his place, shivering and unable to move any further. With his skin pale and his eyes brimming with tears, Nino brought his hands to his face, and started sobbing uncontrollably.

Nino... we can't see you, but we know that you're there. Jun's kind voice broke the awkward silence that surrounded them.

Are you all right? Why are you crying? Ohno piped up, concerned.

Did something bad happen? Are you okay? Aiba asked.

"I'm sorry." Nino whispered, sinking to his knees and burying his face in both hands while he cried. "I'm sorry that I left you like this.... If I had known..."

You didn't do it to hurt us... Ohno spoke 

Nobody's mad at you. Please, don't cry, Nino. Aiba reassured him

We know that you did it because you thought it was for the best. Nobody's blaming you, or Sho.

Nino wept in silence, his shoulders hunched as his small frame shook with each sob.

...Get us down from here. I'd feel a lot better if I could see you. Ohno spoke.

I'm glad that you finally remember us. Now at least we could figure something out. Jun offered in consolation.

Give me a hug, Nino. It's been a long time since anyone's hugged me and I miss you and Sho so horribly. Aiba's voice cracked.

Nino slowly got up from his knees and approached the dolls, stepping up on the display window and wrapping frail arms around Jun's waist. His tears flowed freely and dripped down from his chin and onto Jun's gray shirt. He fixed Jun up to a standing position and carried him all the way to the lobby. Yuki sat up once more and watched Nino with a thoughtful look, noticing how red and puffy Nino's eyes were as he carefully placed Jun on the armchair.

"There's room for two more here." Yuki scooted to the left, her hands motioning for Nino to place Jun next to her. Nino nodded, his eyes cast down as he moved Jun from the armchair and sat him next to Yuki.

"Don't do that!" Yuki exclaimed all of a sudden.

"Do what?" Nino dully asked, his tear stricken eyes meeting Yuki's.

"Don't cry!" Yuki sniffled. "You're making me cry too!" Yuki pulled Nino in for a tight embrace, and wrapped her other arm around Jun. "We're going to get through this, okay?"

Yuki, Nino... Jun, trapped in his frozen body had also wanted to cry. Nino heard the pain in Jun's voice and it greatly added to the guilt that he felt.

"Well," Nino sat in front of Jun, looking into the brown eyes that seemed to stare right through him. "I'm sorry, Jun, but Yuki knows your secret now... When she went into my mind to unlock my memories, she found that conversation I had with you that day..."

She... Oh. Had Jun been able to move, all his blood would have rushed to his cheeks. Yuki released Nino and wrapped both arms around Jun instead....Yuki feels a little warm, is she okay?

"Yuki used up a lot of her energy when she dove into my mind, Sho used to take care of her when she got like this..."

"No fair leaving me out in the conversation like this." Yuki whined, leaning her head on Jun's shoulders. "What's he saying?"

Don't say anything

"Jun likes it that you're hugging him." Nino smiled affectionately at the two, wiping away his tears; a small ray of hope lighting up his heart. "I'll be getting the others to join us." Nino said, heading back to the display window, covering it with a big black cloth and telling Pierre that the boutique would be closed for the day.

"Well, Aiba, here we go..." Nino straightened Aiba up and turned him around so that he could give his tall, giggly friend a tight embrace.

Could you make it so that I'm hugging you too? Aiba requested. I may not be able to move, but I can still feel how warm you are.

"Aiba..." Nino started tearing up again. You guys are too kind... Nino placed Aiba's arms around him as he requested. "Sho's going to be back on Monday. I promise to make him remember you."

I never doubted you, Nino.

"Thank you, Aiba"

Nino carried Aiba all the way to the lobby and placed him next to Jun who sat next to Yuki,( arms wrapped around Jun, head resting lazily on his shoulders.)

Ooooh. Are you sure I'm not interrupting anything? Aiba giggled.

Shut up.

"Oh come on, you know that you like it." Nino grinned at Jun.

...

"I don't know what they're saying, but I think I know what you guys are talking about." Yuki yawned, sleepily mumbling into Jun's sleeve. "Stop picking on Jun... Is the pill supposed to make me sleepy?"

"Oh, yes. I guess that's also just your body's natural reaction. You'll need to rest soon."

"You too. Now go get your Ohno before I fall asleep on Jun and drool all over him."

"Of course." 

Nino walked back to the display window where Ohno sat all alone, his were eyes staring blankly at the black cloth draped over the window that blocked the sun's rays from coming through. 

"Ohno..." Nino whispered as he pulled Ohno up from the chair and straightened his legs, his slim arms pulling Ohno tightly towards his body.

You missed me? Ohno's soft voice broke through Nino's thoughts. Turn me around so I can see your face.

Nino turned Ohno around to face him, his red, puffy eyes meeting Ohno's steady gaze as he did.

I missed you so much. Ohno's voice finally broke. 

"I'm sorry. Will you ever, ever forgive me for making you wait so long?" Nino whispered, tears threatening to spill from his eyes once more as he slipped an arm around Ohno's waist and placed one hand on his shoulder. Nino leaned towards Ohno, their foreheads touching, and their lips mere centimeters apart from each other.

You don't know how happy I was when I first saw you walk through those doors... Ohno's voice came out in a whisper in Nino's head.

"I'm here now." Nino replied, "and I'm not going anywhere until I have this all fixed." Nino placed warm, soft lips on Ohno's cold ones, lingering for a moment or two before he pulled away and tenderly carried Ohno to where the rest were seated.

I'd rather you never left...

Oh! the lovebirds are here! Aiba exclaimed.

"You sure took your time." Yuki grinned, "you sure you didn't molest him back there?"

"Shut up, you're supposed to be sick!" Nino retorted, blushing, as he sat on the armchair and sat Ohno down his lap.

Jun's been very quiet, and I was afraid you'd take a long time. I was feeling very lonely here! Aiba chirped once more.

Shut up, idiot.

"Heey, you're all having your secret conversations again. I'm feeling really left out here." Yuki shot Nino a glare. "Man, this is so complicated... so I'm not even going to pretend I could catch up with everything that's happening, and I'm pretty sure you're tired too... So, what's the plan? Are you going to bring Ohno home with you?"

"Not really. My place is a mess and I don't really think he'll fit in there. I guess I'll have to leave you here till you get to move, Ohno."

No problem, just come here everyday, okay?

"Of course."

Yuki rolled her eyes "I've honestly never seen you so sappy before... So um, I think they can hear me, right?"

"Pretty much"

Yuki turned to look at the dolls one by one, taking Jun's hand in hers as she spoke. 

"Jun, Aiba, Ohno... I don't really know where to begin, but I'm terribly, terribly sorry if I've done something to hurt you. You're probably bored staring out of the window all day, and I don't really know what you want to watch on television, but now that Nino's here, maybe he can tell me what you want..."

Weelll, I want to know what chocolate tastes like, but I can't eat yet 

Me too, I kind of want to eat ... I also want to take pictures and study photography but I can't do that yet...

Um... I'm happy watching people from that little window, they're interesting and I want to draw them, but maybe that will have to wait until I can move, right Nino?

Nino nodded in understanding and turned to face Yuki. "Basically, Aiba wants to eat chocolate, Jun wants to eat and take pictures and Ohno wants to draw... "

"Er. Would you rather watch television, or would you rather watch the people outside the window?" Yuki yawned and scratched her head, fighting off the drowsiness that came with the medicine.

"Ohno doesn't mind watching people from his window, and from what I can remember, Aiba likes watching cartoons, while Jun likes watching documentaries. Ohno seems to like shows about underwater life..."

We don't really mind watching people said Jun. We don't want to be an inconvenience to you and we've become used to it by now, we wouldn't mind waiting a bit longer. I would like a camera though when I can move...

We'll wait Nino, don't worry. Go get Sho, I miss him very much.

I guess we can just take turns watching TV at night, eh?

"Thank you. I don't know how many times I can thank you for being so patient" Nino held Ohno closer to him and rested his head on his back "I promise to buy you a camera when I earn enough money, and Aiba, you can have all the chocolate you want..."

"I'll take care of that part, and you don't really have to work anymore. Just promise to drop by everyday..."

*****

Nino left the boutique at around 5:30 in the afternoon, mentally and emotionally exhausted, but eternally grateful for the return of his memories. The air was mild and balmy and the sky was awash in the warm red-orange glow of the sunset. Nino walked at a slow and leisurely pace towards his small apartment, viewing the city with new eyes as faces of familiar people flitted in and out of his vision. Nino wondered how many people he met and talked to everyday were also once part of his previous life. For once, he was thankful that he didn't really get out of the palace, back when he was still a prince. He wasn't quite sure he'd be able to recover that easily from all the overwhelming information he'd have to digest. As it was, he was still trying to reconcile bits of his past with his present memories, mentally shuffling through the names and faces of the people he'd interacted with everyday.

Oh! Mom's still my mom, and Eriol's my history teacher! Nino paused mid-stride at this realization,

...should I tell Yuki?


	22. A Reunion

After a lengthy talk with his mother and Mari, Sho was somehow able to manage a peaceful acceptance of his situation.

After all their speculations, all he knew was that his dreams and visions were linked to the shop. Whether it was an idyllic scene of an outdoor picnic in the summer sun, or a terrifying nightmare of a death by fire, Nino and the doll's faces featured prominently in each of them. His "dreams" although not necessarily linear, followed a coherent sequence that made sense to Sho, and it felt as though he was revisiting a memory, rather than having a dream. It was something he just knew, but was too afraid to confront. He still wasn't sure about his healing abilities, but his intuition tells him that it might be connected to them too. 

Either way, the only thing he had left to do was to confront his fears and hope there will be answers to his questions.

***

 

Sho woke up to a tranquil Sunday morning wrapped in the fleecy, cream-colored sheets of his king-sized bed. He fell into a deep and even sleep, blissfully free of disturbing dreams about talking dolls, or nightmares of fire and blood. Sho stretched out his arms and rolled to his side, his eyes lingering briefly at the miniature panda plushie that Mari placed beside him. He then yawned and clutched a cushy white pillow to his chest while his sleepy mind slowly bloomed into awareness, idly mulling over the small and trivial details of his clean and spacious room. 

His gaze wandered from the bookshelves filled with old hardcover volumes of childhood fairy tales written by his mom, and encyclopedias whose bindings were nearly coming off of its spines. Newer textbooks on print and broadcast journalism were eventually added to this collection during his years in the university, and earned their place alongside thick volumes of manga and photo books, collected during his teens. Boxes of CDs and LPs filled with music from classical to hip-hop, stood in a quiet, undisturbed pile next to his bookshelves, and the old posters of the musical artists he grew to love, framed between stiff layers of black illustration boards, still adorned the whitewashed walls of his old room, gathering dust beneath the slightly faded gloss of the magazine cutout. 

Although he had been living on his own for a couple of years now, in many ways, the mansion was still his home. Much of the things he truly treasured remained in this room and he couldn't quite bear the thought of moving them out and bringing them into his small apartment. The power of his old home, filled with the warmth of his happy memories put his frantic heart at ease and convinced him that things would eventually work themselves out somehow. Sho turned to lie on his back and stretched out both legs, staring vacantly at the ceiling. It felt as though he had never left home at all, and it was in moments like these that Sho was grateful for his mom's sentimentalism and her insistence on leaving Sho's room exactly as it was, even though he rarely had time to visit because of his hectic schedule.

Three knocks on the door, followed by his mother's loud and cheerful voice calling him out for breakfast, broke through Sho's early morning musings. Sho started to get up, one limb at a time and pushed himself off his bed, making his way to the mirror where he combed his hair, trying to at least look a little human before joining his family for breakfast. Sho walked out of his bedroom dressed in his plaid, flannel pajamas and walked around in his tattered bunny slippers, given to him by Mari as a Christmas present...

"Morning, Sho!" Mari greeted her older brother, waving from her chair, forking a big slice of blueberry pancake into her mouth. "Did you sleep well?" she asked between mouthfuls, while a sticky a drop of maple syrup trickled down her small chin.

"Yes, I did. No nightmares this time." Sho smiled, pulling out a chair and taking his place beside Mari and motioning for her to wipe her chin. "Good Morning, mom."

"Good Morning! So, what time do we visit your friends?" Sho's mother asked, "I do like to see them, even the dolls you talked about."

"I think the shop opens at around 10 during weekends." Sho smiled weakly "Maybe we could drop by after lunch."

"Do you think we ought to call them, at least?" Asked Sho's mother between sips of coffee.

"Well, we could, but I wrote their phone number on a sticky note that I placed on my corkboard. I'm sorry, but I don't remember it."

"Well, that's okay. They ought to be there, it's their shop." Mari reasoned. "Consider it a surprise visit! And I'd like to meet Yuki too. She sounds like such a glamorous person... shame you don't have eyes for her!" Mari giggled.

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh come on, apart from all the weird stuff, all you kept talking about was this blonde, doe-eyed Aiba doll. Is he really that pretty? I am curious about the Ohno doll though, I'm not sure why..." Mari tilted her head to the side, pausing for a moment before finishing off the last forkful of her pancake.

"Are you implying that I'm attracted to inanimate objects?"

"I didn't say anything," Mari replied, an eyebrow raised, "but if that's your thing, then..." Mari hid behind a sly smile, trying to contain her laughter.

"Mari~ you're such a child!" Sho whined, biting into his toast.

Finished with her breakfast, Mari got up from her chair, giving her brother a tight hug and a peck on the cheek. "And you're too serious. I know you're still a bit scared, but you're the one who insisted that we go today. Mom and I will be with you just in case you go crazy," she smirked.

"Thank you... I think" Sho replied, pouring himself some coffee.

“I also know that you're gaaaay~~!" Mari yelled as she skipped towards the bathroom, where she was about to brush her teeth.

"Mari!" Sho blushed and sputtered his coffee, unable to deny any of her allegations. He slowly turned to face his mom, unable to meet her eyes as he struggled to explain himself.

"Sho, sweetie, I've known since you were in high school." Mrs. Sakurai spoke, just as Sho was about to open his mouth, "We all knew, eventually, your dad had a rather hard time accepting it, but he eventually got around to it."

"...and Keiichi?" Sho gaped, clearly surprised. 

"Oh, he knows and he's been trying to look for a suitable boyfriend for you, since you never brought home any. Shame you weren't always home when he was. He brought home lots of weird men! It would've been entertaining to have your brother set you up! We never approved of anyone he brought home though, that's why you never met them." Sho's mother smiled and laughed jovially as she buttered her toast. "Your dad wanted someone 'as good looking as you' and would 'treat you like the princess you are...' or something like that. Who knew he'd be so picky, huh?"

"Dad wanted...what...?!" Sho squeaked, unable to find the words to express his shock. This was turning out to be a very weird week.

"I know you've been through a lot the past few days...We were hoping you'd come home one day and come out to us with your new boyfriend. Mari's just a bit spacey these days, she didn't mean to let your secret out. Relax, Sho. We'll get through this." Mrs. Sakurai said comfortingly as she placed her cup down the table, and made her way towards Sho, placing a soft kiss on his head, and combing her fingers through his hair. 

"Thank you, Mom. Thank you very much." Sho replied in a harsh whisper, overwhelmed with emotions. His shoulders slumped down in defeat as he finally gave in to the tears, burrowing his head on his mother's chest as he sobbed openly. Sho was truly grateful for his family, weird and crazy as they were, they gave him a solid support group whenever he needed it and they had never let him down.

 

***

It was 2 PM when Sho and his mother, driven (unfortunately) by Mari, arrived at Yuki's shop. Sho's heart skipped a beat as they neared the display window; Instead of three dolls, only one was peeking out of its small frame. Ohno sat alone on the park bench which he often used to share with Jun and Aiba. He wore a black beret on his head; one of his hands held a sharpened blue pencil, and on his lap was a blank sketchbook. Ohno looked serene as though he was calmly studying his subjects from where he sat, and was getting ready to sketch them.

Sho and his mother stepped out of the car while Mari tried to find a place to park. Sho felt panic rise with every step he took towards the shop. The 'Closed' sign was hung upon the door of the boutique, and the normally busy atmosphere of Marguerite's cafe was replaced by an empty silence, devoid of the usual boisterous crowd that frequented it. Sho took a deep breath, stopping at the door and mentally debating whether or not he should knock and wait for a response. Something was amiss, and he wasn't really sure he would like to find out.

"Sho... Nobody seems to be around. Do you think we ought to come back another time?" Mrs. Sakurai asked.

"No... Um, I think I'll try knocking first, someone might answer." Sho's voice quivered as he spoke, but he was determined to look past his fears and get this over with. Sho balled his hand into a fist and gave the door three sharp knocks, trying to contain his anxiety while waiting for a response. 

If they're not here, then I can go home and try another day... Sho exhaled.

A few seconds after, the knob was turned, and Nino's face came into view, "Sorry, we're... Oh Sho, it's you!" Nino's eyes were lined with dark circles, and he looked just as tired as Sho felt.

"I know you're closed, but I..."

"It's okay, come in."

"This is my mother and..."

Mari, you're here! Can you hear me? I missed you!

"Mari, let's go!" Sho called after his sister who stood in front of the display window, seemingly fascinated by the doll that sat alone on the bench.

"Um, yeah, okay..." Mari replied in a distant voice, wearing a perplexed expression on her face as she obediently followed Sho into the shop, her gaze still fixed on the doll. 

"Who's that over there?"

"That's Ohno, I think..." Sho replied, looking curiously at Mari as they entered the shop. "Why do you ask?"

"I don't know, but it feels like I should know him somehow..."

Nino gave Mari an inquiring glance, trying to ignore the sudden pang of jealousy that nipped at his heart.

"My name is Nino. Pleased to meet you."

"My name Mari, I'm Sho's sister. Pleased to meet you too" Mari smiled shyly as she gave a short bow to introduce herself.

"This is my mother and as you already know this is my sister Mari."

"Good Afternoon, Mrs. Sakurai, Mari" Nino replied.

"Listen, I know you're closed for today, but I really need to tell you something..." Sho began.

"It's all right." Nino interrupted, "I need to tell you some things too. I'm actually glad that you dropped by. Yuki is in the lounge watching TV, follow me. I'm sure she'll be glad to see you too."

Sho, Mari, and his mother followed Nino into the lounge where they found Yuki sitting between Jun and Aiba, watching a mid-afternoon dorama on television, while digging into a bag of potato chips.

"We have some guests." Nino announced, pulling up an extra chair for Sho, and telling Pierre to bring in two more while Marguerite prepared to serve some snacks.

"Oh, hi! You're here!" Yuki exclaimed, looking surprised when she saw Nino enter the room followed by Sho and two other women. 

"Good afternoon, Yuki." Sho greeted, looking a bit confused at the sight of two mannequins watching television with her. Yuki sat cross-legged on the couch, dressed casually in jeans and a loose t-shirt, looking a bit tired and weak, as though she's just recovered from some illness.

"Are you okay? You look a bit pale." Sho asked.

"It's just a little fever." Yuki smiled weakly, "anyway, I'm sorry I couldn't be dressed better. If I had known you were coming I would've tried looking a little more decent. Make yourselves at home." Yuki replied, a little unbalanced as she stood up and reached for a paper towel to wipe her hands on. "My name is Yuki, I'm Nino's sis--- um, employer." She went in front of Sho's family and gave a little bow.

"Hello, I'm Sho's mother, and this is his sister, Mari. I'm sorry for dropping by on such short notice." Sho's mother replied and sat down on one of the chairs. Like Sho, she found the whole situation rather peculiar, although she tried her best not to show it. Mari on the other hand, looked a little distracted and kept gazing at the dolls who sat on either side of Yuki.

"Good Afternoon, Mrs. Sakurai, Mari, please have a seat" Yuki motioned for them to sit as Nino went back to the lounge and sat himself down the armchair next to the couch. Pierre followed Nino and brought in some extra chairs, while Marguerite brought in a tray of pastries and some tea for the guests...

Hey it's Mari! Hi Ma--

Shut up Aiba! Not yet!

Sho's head suddenly turned to the direction of the dolls. From across the room, Nino observed the whole exchange, nodding silently to himself.

So, he could hear them... Who's Mari, exactly? I don't remember her at all, and from the looks of it, neither could Yuki. But Jun and Aiba seem to know her...

"Oh! Before I forget..." Mari suddenly exclaimed, snapping out of her reverie as she turned to look at Yuki. 

"Yes?"

"You really are pretty, just as I'd thought."

"Oh, um thank you." 

"I brought these for you. I made them too. Sho told me that you were interested in consigning my stuff... but I know that we're not here to talk about that yet, anyway..." Mari dug into her bag and produced a pair of her hand-crafted chandelier earrings. Its tiny stones caught the faint sunlight that illuminated the room and glimmered nicely in her slender fingers. "Try them on. I know they'd look good on you." 

"Thank you very much!" said Yuki, "You said that you weren't here to talk about this... what exactly do you mean?"

"Well, I think it's best if I let Sho explain... Sorry for being a little random. I know I tend zone out sometimes." Mari smiled sheepishly, scratching her head in apology. "Do your dolls watch TV with you all the time?"

"I know someone who zones out even more than you do." Yuki replied, trying on the earrings. " I think we'd better get him here too... about the dolls, well, it's a little complicated, but I think both of us want to discuss the same thing."

" I see..."

"Well, I guess I'd better get Ohno here then," Nino stood up and headed towards the display window.

"So he's Ohno... The one on your right must be Aiba, then."

"You know them?"

"Sho told us. It's a long story..."

"I've been having dreams about them lately, among other things..." Sho began as Nino entered the room with Ohno in tow, squeezing him in beside Jun at the edge of the couch.

"Well, seeing that we're all here. I guess we'd better start." Nino sat down on the armchair once more. "This might take a while, so I told Marguerite to make us some dinner if that's okay."

"That's perfectly fine. I think we'll need it." Said Yuki. "Well, Sho, since you're here, you get to go first..."

"Okay..." Sho looked at the dolls and exhaled nervously, "I don't really know where to begin and it might sound a little silly..."

"It might not be silly at all, you'll be surprised..." Nino replied.

Sho sat a little uncomfortably on the cushy armchair of Yuki's lounge; his eyes looking at his hands as he twiddled his thumbs, uncertain of where to begin. There was a pronounced heaviness in the air that Sho couldn't quite name, and he felt as though the veil was slowly being lifted, only to reveal more ominous things that he could never be fully prepared for. All eyes were on Sho while the whole room waited patiently for him to speak; the silence punctuated by the monotonous drone of the air conditioner, and animated chattering coming from the television as the programming switched from mid-afternoon soaps to children's cartoons. 

Sho's mother placed a hand on his son's shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze, and encouraging him to continue. Taking a deep breath, Sho lifted his head and began to speak.

"It began with a dream that I've had, even before I met you..." Sho started hesitantly, his voice low and quiet. "My first dream wasn't as vivid as the ones that came next, I don't really remember much, just a series of images... but somehow, it always involved you... and now that I think about it, the dolls." Sho paused, trying to still his mind to find the right words, "I-I'm not sure if it's related, but when I was a child, I had nightmares about fires and I used to very afraid of it. The therapist told me I had pyrophobia...Even a lit candle would be enough to scare me. It did wane eventually, but I was never completely able to get over it. It's one of the reasons why I couldn't even cook for myself." Sho rambled on, random thoughts spilling out from his lips as he tried to untangle the confusion that clouded his mind. 

From their seats, Nino and Yuki inched forward, ever so slightly, in tense anticipation as they waited for Sho to continue...

"My dreams would always start out nicely" Sho resumed, his eyes straying towards Aiba's still form and looking at the doll, as though it would give him the answers, "there would be vast meadows and castles and we'd be sitting under trees... It was happy, peaceful...almost like a fairy tale, then it would skip, and the next thing I remember is the screaming, and the smell of blood, and fire... and smoke. Sometimes I'd wake up in a cold sweat, trying to catch my breath. It felt like I was choking. I stopped having that dream for some time, but it reappeared the night before I got that notice from my boss, telling me to do a feature on your store." Sho paused, looking at Yuki, who seemed as though she were restraining herself from saying something.

"What do you remember about the dolls?" Nino interrupted from his corner of the room, nearly jumping out of his seat...”I-I'm sorry, please continue." 

Sho paused thoughtfully, looking at Nino whose eyes reflected a deep sense of urgency. "Only that they were alive... “Sho sighed, running his fingers through his hair, "this is really going to sound crazy, but in my dreams, we had these... special abilities. I'm not really sure what they were, I just knew we did." Sho's voice sounded distant, as though he were thinking aloud. "You...You were some sort of illusionist, and Yuki was your sister... she always had this staff... I also remember Aiba and this little squirrel he always had, perched on his shoulders." Nervous, laughter escaped from Sho as he struggled to come to grips with what he thought was his insanity. "I'm sorry, I don't know why I'm having these dreams, I mean, I just met you... It just doesn't make sense..."

"It's not crazy, I promise." Yuki cut in, her voice gentle but firm, her perceptive gray eyes gazing deeply into Sho's, ”you're making more sense than you think you are and to tell you the truth, I'm actually relieved that you had those dreams."

"What do you mean by that?"

"It'll be clearer after we've told our part of the story..."

"I see..."

"I would just like to know though... what else do you remember about Aiba?" Yuki managed a soft, playful smile despite her weakened state. She tucked a strand of Aiba's hair behind his ear and held his hand while she waited for Sho to reply.

"I... he..." Sho looked closely at Aiba and tried to gauge his feelings towards the doll, "I... love him." Sho gasped, surprised at this sudden epiphany. Sho scratched his head, his brows furrowed as he drowned deeper into his confusion. "How could I--"

"Well, Aiba, what do you know..." Yuki cooed at the doe-eyed doll, lightly pinching his nose. "You're one lucky guy!"

"Um... are he and I--"

"Ooh!" Mari suddenly exclaimed; her bright eyes looking at Aiba's expressionless face as its brown eyes stared blankly ahead. 

"M-Mari? Do you know something?" Sho asked, more than a little baffled by the whole situation. Yuki talked to the doll, as though it were human, while Mari looked as though she had just realized something that Sho hadn't previously known. His mother, on the other hand looked just about as clueless as he did, but sat composed in her quiet acceptance of the situation, as she waited patiently for things to progress. From where he sat, Nino's weary eyes twinkled from wearing a smile that mirrored Yuki's. He pulled Ohno closer to himself, and cuddled the doll, as he rested his small chin on its shoulder.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt." Mari continued, scratching her head in embarrassment, "It's just that, when Sho was telling us about his dreams last night, he talked about Aiba a lot... I mean, the way he described him... and now he says that he loves him. It makes sense that he loves Aiba... I still don't get the whole thing, but I'm happy for him. It's so romantic!" Mari smiled sheepishly. 

"Aiba is a pretty... He's not a doll, is he? And he is a boy, am I correct? “Sho’s mother spoke as though she were confirming something rather than asking a question.

"Yes, he is." Yuki answered. 

"I'm surprised you're taking this rather calmly, Mrs. Sakurai." Nino spoke "If it had been anyone else, I'm sure you would have thought we were all insane."

"Well... Sho's nightmares, when he was younger, had always been a mystery to me. The therapist told us that it was some sort of trauma, but I couldn't really think of anything traumatic happening to him before he reached the age of 4. He was always with us, we never let him out of our sight, and there would always be someone looking after him when we were away. When he told me about his recent dreams... among other things, I just had a hunch that it was connected to his childhood nightmares and his pyrophobia. Sho... didn't learn to speak normally until he was around 3 years old. For a time, it seemed like he had his own language. I guess I'm also here to get answers. I want to know what happened too, and these... people," Sho's mother looked at the dolls once more, focusing on Aiba's face " are connected to him somehow, aren't they?"

"Yes. They are."

"So, Nino, isn't it? Who are these, um, people?" Mrs. Sakurai asked.

"Well, this wasn't the way it was supposed to go, but I guess it can't be helped." Nino sighed, scratching his head and looked at Sho, who seemed like he was about to have a nervous breakdown. "Before that, I would like to ask Sho this question first: Do you remember when you first met us?"

"Yes. It was only 2 days ago, we were at the cafe and we talked over dinner." Sho replied, trying to repress the panic rising from his gut.

"Do you remember hearing other voices inside the room?" Nino prodded on

Sho remained silent, his heart pounding as the blood drained from his face.

"Sho, please be strong. We need you for this." Yuki turned an imploring glance at Sho. "Everything will make sense after this, I promise."

Sho silently nodded, forcing himself to remain calm while his mother gently squeezed his hand.

"Yes. I think I did..." Sho whispered

Nino nodded from where he sat, "Sho, I don't really know how else to put this but Ohno, Aiba and Jun... they're not really mannequins, as your mother guessed. It was their voices you heard while we were having dinner. I only told them to keep quiet because you looked scared and I was afraid you'd run off and never return."

"Of course I was scared! Who wouldn't be? A bunch of voices were speaking, and I thought they were in my head, or worse, ghosts! And I never even believed in ghosts before this! Weren't you scared of them too?!" Sho exploded "I've heard of talking dolls before, but this... they know what we're saying!"

"Sho, I told you... they're not just dolls."

"But--"

We're not dolls, Sho believe it or not...

I'm sorry you have to go through this. I'm sure this wasn't what you and Nino had in mind...

I missed you and I'm really glad that you're here. I know that you can help us... and thanks, I love you too.

Sho fell silent as the dolls spoke; his breathing becoming fast and shallow as beads of sweat formed on his forehead. Mari wrapped her arms around Sho in a tight hug, holding Sho down as her brother shivered.

Sho, please don't run...

"Dear, what is it?"

"Didn't you hear them?"

"No, we didn't hear anything."

"We're the only ones who can hear them, Sho. Not even Yuki can hear them."

"Why's that?" Sho asked.

Nino sighed, "It's something that you and I did, a long time ago... back when we still had those, 'special abilities' as you put it."

"Special abilities, huh?" Sho gently shook his head in disbelief.

Nino raised an eyebrow and gave Sho an enquiring glance before he continued. "Anyway, you're not insane. Phony as it sounds, I know how you feel. I've been there too."

"Ah."

"Would you like to continue with your story, or would you rather hear our side this time?" Nino offered.

Sho contemplated this for a while, “I don't know... I have a lot of questions that I'd really like to ask and it would probably make more sense if you told me your side of the story. I really haven't been through this sort of thing before" Sho exhaled, turning to Aiba and looking deeply into his eyes "Aiba...hello... I feel really silly doing this..." Sho began awkwardly, aware that he probably looked foolish, knowing that only he and Nino could hear them. "Um... I'm sorry I don't remember you yet. You too, Jun, Ohno... I really thought you were just dolls at first--"

Um yeah, Nino said the same thing when he first talked to us. He was panicking because we have no... What’s that? Solar batteries?

Batteries. 

Or remote controls...

Or those things you plug in holes on the wall! The thing that makes the TV work!

"Electricity?"

Right...oh! 

"Uh, yes Aiba?" Nino replied, almost forgetting how talkative Aiba could be once he got going.

Jun loves Yuki. They're together now! 

Aiba! Sho turned a curious glance towards Jun and Yuki (who was busy trying to guess what the conversation was about.)

They hug a lot

Jun goes really quiet when she does that.

They're... it's just so... soft... Jun squeaked in his defense

"What do you mean "they"? Oi, Jun you big pervert!" Nino exclaimed.

...sorry

"Why is Jun a big pervert?" Yuki asked, looking at Jun's blank face. "Hey, fill us in, we're feeling a little left out here"

"I uh... can't tell you." Nino replied

"Not even you, Sho?"

"Er, best not to...I think..."

His earlier nervousness gone, Sho was now finding the situation only slightly less bizarre, much to his bemusement. Apart from him and Nino, everyone around them seemed to be guessing what was going on. He was quite surprised to find his mother was taking the whole thing rather seriously, while Mari... well, he could only guess what Mari thought of the whole affair, and he was quite sure it had something to do with aliens, if not faeries...

Well, if we're going to the loony bin, at least I won't be alone... Sho consoled himself with that thought.

Maybe if you stopped fighting it, you will remember us. You seem to know far more than Nino did when he first came here.

"What do you mean?"

Nino had no clue at all. No dreams. Nothing.

Speaking of Mari...

"Ohno, Mari's curious about you, and I think I heard Aiba greeting her too when we came in. Do you know her? Why is it that she can't hear you?"

"Oh yeah, who is she?" Nino was also eager to know, his jealousy threatening to rear its ugly head.

Oh, she's... she was my sister. I never really expected to find her here, I was very surprised to find that she's your sister now, but I'm relieved because I know that you're a good brother, Sho.

"Ah. I see..." Nino nodded, relieved.

"Thank you. I'm glad you think so" Sho replied

"Who's Ohno? What did he say?" Mari asked

"He said that he was your brother."

"Oh. Hi brother... from a past life... I think." Mari beamed at the doll and gave Ohno an awkward sort of wave. "He can hear me, right?"

"Yep." Nino replied, amused at the similarities between Mari and Aiba. 

Ah, that's right; Nino and Yuki weren't allowed outside of the castle, so they don't know her. We used to visit Mari a lot, whenever we'd go out. She can be just as spacey as Ohno.

"Well, now that makes sense..." 

She can also be just as strange... but she's a lot like Aiba if you ask me

"I can see that too." Nino nodded. "...you have a great family, Sho."

"Yes. Crazy at times, but definitely great...If it were me, I would've checked myself with the psychiatrist by now, but I'm glad they didn't" Sho replied, watching Mari attempt to make conversation with Ohno. "Mari doesn't really question things a lot, she goes with the flow most of the time, and she trusts her intuition more than anything else...Amazingly, most of her hunches are right."

"Well, now I can see the family resemblance." Yuki replied, amused.

"Anyway..." Mari interrupted "What's your side of the story?" She asked Nino.

"Aaah well, where do I begin?" Nino sighed. "At least you're already used to the weirdness of it all, so what I'm about to tell you shouldn't sound so unbelievable."

"At this rate, I really am prepared to believe anything." Sho replied.

"Where to start, then... "

"Maybe you can begin by telling me who we're supposed to be."

"Your dreams were right about a lot of things. They're more like memories, come to think of it...." Nino began, "I was a... prince... of all things, and Yuki was my sister. My special abilities had a lot to do with creating illusions. I could do a lot of other things too, but it was my specialty. Yuki could tap into memories, and she holds the key that could open doors to different dimensions, and even times. Ohno is a seer, and so is Mari, I'm guessing, since they come from the same family. Aiba has a special ability that allows him to talk to animals... and maybe some inanimate objects...and Jun is an empath."

"What's an empath?"

"He's like a mind reader, but he reads hearts; motives, emotions... all that jazz"

"Ah... “

"You could heal people."

Sho nearly jumped out of his skin, while Mari and his mother looked visibly startled.

"About that..." Sho began

"Yes?"

"There's something else I need to tell you."

"Okay."

"I could, well, I don't know how or why, but I think I could still heal people... "

Nino was shocked, unable to remember what he was about to say, and almost dropping Ohno from his lap. From where she sat, Yuki spat out her drink and dropped the cup of tea she was drinking from.


	23. A Reunion (Part 2)

"... Why do you look so surprised?" Sho backed into his seat, feeling like a cornered animal as the (former) siblings directed identical looks of open-mouthed surprise and curiosity towards him. 

"I... Yuki... how does that happen?! I thought our powers didn't exist in this world?" Nino took a few seconds before he recovered his voice.

"I don't know... I just... That's what the books said... I mean, apart from the keeper, nobody's ever made it through alive; except these three, obviously."

"But you still have yours."

"It's all to do with the gate. I'm supposed to be completely powerless once it closes and we're permanently trapped here... "

There was an awkward pause that fell over the small group as each sat, lost in their own thoughts. Nino's elfin features scrunched up in a look of intense concentration as he hugged Ohno closer to himself, resting his chin on Ohno's shoulders. Yuki stared at her unfinished cup of tea, and the dolls chose to remain quietly seated on their perch, while Sho, lost as ever, pondered the implications of his revelation, and waited for an opportunity to continue speaking.

...If you don't mind, can I ask you something? Jun spoke 

“Sure." Sho replied, relieved to have the silence broken.

When did you first discover that you could heal?

"I only learned about it the other day, because of an accident that happened in my apartment, but it looks like I've been able to do it since I was four."

What do you mean?

"There was an incident in my childhood where Mari hurt herself while we were playing. I was able to heal her, but I don't know how. I just remember Mari placing my hands over her wound, and when she removed them, her wound was healed. She said my hands were warm."

"Was there anything more after that?" Yuki interrupted, getting the gist of the conversation through Sho's answers.

"No. I'm afraid not. I wasn't even aware of how it happened. I got bruised and scraped my knees like any other normal kid, and I've also earned a few scars as I grew up. All of them healed normally."

"What happened the other day?"

"I woke up from a nightmare; the same one that I had when I was a kid. I was so shaken that I had to get up and drink a glass of water. My hands were unsteady and the glass slipped and smashed all over the floor. Pieces of it cut my foot and it bled for a while, but after I've picked out the shards of glass, there wasn't even a scar to speak of."

So it happened without you knowing it?

"Yes"

Have you ever consciously tried to heal anyone?

"No. I didn't know I never tried. I just know that my wounds healed by themselves..."

"That time with Mari... Were you also having nightmares then?" Nino tried to fit the pieces together, one of his hands idly playing with Ohno's fingers.

"I don't know... I don't think so. I started to get better once Mari was around..."

***

Nino lapsed back into a contemplative silence, his brows wrinkling as he dug deeper into his own theories. Jun, Yuki, and Sho's continued conversation faded into the background while he tried to figure out the connection between Sho's dreams and his resurfacing abilities... 

Something, however, was niggling at his brain like an angry cat trying to claw its way out of a box... 

It happened when he was young... but he never really knew how to use it...

...

They always did tell me that I had an overactive imagination... 

Images of Nino's childhood flashed before his eyes. 

 

Oh! 

Nino's heart skipped a few beats...

I wonder if...

 

Well, what have I got to lose? 

 

"Hey" Nino whispered softly into Ohno's ear, "Name one thing you'd like to see the most."

"Um..." Ohno thought for a while "Do you remember the woods? The stream, where we used to sneak away...."

"Okay then..."

Nino... what are you planning to do?

"Hush, Ohno... I'm trying out something."

Nino took a deep breath and closed his eyes, burying his head beneath Ohno's shoulders and trying to clear his mind of the background chatter while he tried to quell his growing anxiousness. Little by little, he reconstructed a vivid image of the tranquil woods in his mind. He started with the sky, almost gray in the twilight hours when the dawn would meet the sunrise. It was always foggy, and slightly overcast in the cold, crisp mornings when he and Ohno would sneak away to the clearing near the stream. The mist, along with his glamours aided their escape from the strict palace guards who never missed their rounds. Somewhere in a small corner of the woods, near the stream, stood their favorite tree, tall and ancient, with gnarled roots that broke through the thick, compact earth where it was rooted. The air smelled of damp soil and sap as the moisture condensed into dew drops that began to evaporate from each leaf and blade of grass. The small stream had moss-covered rocks that lay on either side, where he and Ohno used to sit and relish the few hours of peace before the world awakened from its slumber. Often, Ohno would cast his rod and patiently wait for the fish to bite. On other occasions, he would simply sit with his sketch book and draw whatever caught his fancy, while Nino sat across from him, strumming his guitar and singing songs that only Ohno ever heard.

Just like the first time he had cast a circle, Nino felt an inexplicable joy at the rush of magic as it lit up his core and sang through every cell in his body. It felt like liquid sunlight that slowly leaked out of his chest, gaining speed as it whizzed through his veins, and creating sparks at the tips of his fingers. Nino lit up with an unearthly glow as he completed his spell, trying his best to remember every minute aspect of the scenery, from how the sky looked, to where the shadows fell. In his mind Nino was in that place, feeling the soft, but cold wind caress his cheeks and the mild warmth of the sun that thawed the frost from his cold hands. If he tilted his head, just slightly, he could hear the sound of water gurgling gently in the background and the joyful chirping of the birds...

Just a little more... just a little more...

Ohno gasped; "Nino... this is..."

“WHAT’S HAPPENING?!" Sho screamed, standing up from his chair.

"Where are we?!" Mari exclaimed, wide eyed and curious.

Nino opened his eyes, jolted out of his trancelike state by Sho's sudden outburst.

"I knew it!" Excitement twinkled in Nino's eyes as he examined the illusion he created, "I knew it wasn't just an overactive imagination!"

Nino, this is ... I think I know this place...

"Could someone tell me where we are? How did we even get here?" Sho looked as though he was about to faint. Beside him, his mother looked equally scared and was looking around for an exit, or something to tell her that this was all a dream. Mari, on the other hand, seemed more fascinated than she was surprised, although she did look a little shaken.

"Calm down, Sho" Yuki grasped Sho's trembling hand and tried to ease him back into his chair, which now looked like one of several rocks that sat nestled on a pile of dried leaves and twigs. At the same time, Mari stood up and hesitantly began to wander around, poking at random objects in the scenery.

"Ow! What was that?" Mari rubbed her arm, bumping into something invisible as she tried to make her way to the stream.

"I think you better get back to your seat too, Mari" said Yuki, approaching the girl and gently leading her back to her own chair.

"Nino... You might want to explain this" Yuki looked around, a brow raised in question "...So this was where you and Ohno snuck off every morning, huh?"

You mean she knew???

"I'm sorry about that," Nino began, "I just wanted to try something out."

"What's this? Where are we? " Sho whispered, trying to calm down and paying more attention to his surroundings.

Why does this all feel familiar?

"It's a place that Ohno and I loved to visit during our previous lives. It's as you saw in your dream," Nino explained, slightly out of breath from the exertion,” I was--am, an illusionist. I could make people believe in things that I want them to."

"Th-they're quite believable. I'm very convinced" Sho's mother clung tightly to her son's elbow, her eyes still wandering about. "I can even feel how cold it is..."

 

"So... we're still really in the room and I just bumped into your furniture didn't I?" Mari asked, rubbing her sore elbow.

"Yes, we are... But what I would really like to know now," said Yuki, "is how Nino suddenly got his powers back." 

And why you hardly seem surprised at all...

"I've had it all along."

"What do you mean?" asked Yuki

"I never lost it." Nino explained. "When I was much younger, my mom and my teachers would scold me for having an overactive imagination. I didn't have much friends growing up, so I usually played by myself. They kept my friends away because their parents always complained that I was a bad influence for making their kids believe in imaginary things..."

So, you repressed it?

"Yes, Jun. I guess you can put it that way. I was a kid, and I wanted to keep my friends, so I tried to stop playing make-believe. I didn't want to make my mother sad too... I could still picture things in my head, but when I felt strange... like it was going to come out of me, I snapped out of it and thought of different things instead."

What did you make them believe?

"I, uh, really liked dinosaurs back then..." Nino replied sheepishly

"You what?!" Sho exclaimed, horrified

"I thought that the T-Rex was really cool... until it ended up chasing us... and my friends had nightmares about it," Nino scratched his head, "well, now at least it makes sense..."

What's a dinosaur?

"It's something like a dragon with really sharp teeth, but it doesn't breathe fire and it can run really fast... I'll show you one of these days"

That's great! Are they in zoos like pandas? I'd love to talk to them!

"Well, Aiba, unfortunately they're extinct. They died out millions of years ago."

Oh. That's a shame, I bet they're really nice too

"Uh, no. Not really... They're so big they won't even see you and they'd probably stomp all over you... or eat you, even"

Why am I not surprised that you scared off your friends...

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It still doesn't make sense." Yuki said, thinking aloud. "Unless--"

"Anyway, can we go back to the lobby now?" Sho cut Yuki off, “I’m sorry, I don't think I can handle this much excitement, and I really don't want to see a dinosaur today." said Sho, expecting raptors to come clawing out of the bushes at any moment.

Nino closed his eyes once more and willed the image away. The scenery before them rippled and dissolved in to thin air, within a few moments, they were once again surrounded by the familiar walls of the boutique's lounge.

"Thank you."

"You used to enjoy those a lot, you know" Nino smirked.

"... I suppose I did. Sorry, there's just too much happening right now and it feels like my head's going to explode from all the information."

"Well, I really wasn't expecting it to work. I was just acting on an impulse."

"I see..." 

"That still doesn't explain anything though." Yuki frowned, rubbing her temples. She hadn't completely recovered from the power drain and was still feeling weak and slightly feverish.

Beside Sho, Mari seems to have retreated into her own little world and was idly twirling a strand of hair around her forefinger while humming some obscure tune. Mari looked strangely content, and she seems to have recovered easily from the shock, unlike her sibling and their mother who looked slightly ashen after witnessing one of Nino's illusions. 

"Mari?" Nino asked "Are you all right? Weren't you scared earlier?"

"Huh? Oh no, I was shocked but it was awesome! I'm very happy to meet people like you! Until now, I never thought you were real!" Mari practically beamed at Nino "I'm sorry, I'm strange, I know..."

"People like me? Do you mean there are others out there?"

"I see them on television sometimes, you know, psychics! I know that there are also some temple priests who can heal just by laying their hands on you, I never thought that my brother was one of them. I wish I had a gift like yours too, it'd be amazing!"

"Psychics... huh..." Nino trailed off, lost once more in his train of thought

what’s a psychic? 

"Why? You're psychics, aren't you? Or at least something like that..."

"A psychic is someone like you, Oh-chan. They're seers. But you're right, Mari, I guess we're something like that..."

Psychics... Jun thought aloud, Why haven't I considered that before? I think Mari may be onto something...

"I think so too..." Nino nodded in agreement 

"What is it with psychics? Didn't you tell me they're just lame fortunetellers?" Yuki asked

"Well... most of the people who advertise themselves as psychics are really just out for your money. But, if there really are people out there who can do the things we can, then maybe magic isn't completely lost in this world"

"Oh!"

It could be true. We still have our abilities, but it seems to be limited by this spell...

Think about it, if the gates were closed before we arrived in this dimension, then you and Sho wouldn't even have access to your powers, and you both had it when you were still kids. Which is good news because it means that we'll still have magic even though the gates close.

"That's right!"

"Um, excuse me but what gates are you talking about?" Sho asked, feeling lost and completely left out of the conversation.

"Well," Yuki began, "We got here because of a staff that lets me open gates to other worlds. I can only traverse them for as long as the gates are open. They're only open for a certain amount of time though, once they're closed I'm permanently trapped in the dimension I'm in, and the staff would be useless unless there are similar energies to feed it. Right now, I'm afraid I've used the staff too many times trying to locate the two of you, and I'm already drained of my magic, as is the staff." 

Sho nodded slowly, his rational mind still playing a tug of war with his intuition.

"I see... what spell is Ohno talking about? Is that why they can't move? "

"It's actually a potion that they ingested." Nino replied, "only the gatekeeper, who happens to be Yuki, can cross worlds unharmed. Any living thing that comes with her dies. The potion mimics death, it's the only thing worth a try that could keep them from dying. So far, it looks like we've succeeded."

"We?"

"Yes. We. We were the ones who created the potion and the only ones who know the antidote. We're the only ones who can get them to move again, which is why it's important for you to get your memories back."

"Unfortunately," Yuki interjected, "I was severely weakened when I used the staff and its powers to bring Nino's memories back. I would do the same for you, but I'm afraid I'm not well enough, and I practically have no magic left..."

"I guess that's why you're sick"

"Yes."

"Let me help you, then. I still don't know how this works but it's worth a shot isn't it?" Sho replied, standing up to approach Yuki.

It should come naturally to you since you've done that plenty of times before

"Thank you, Aiba... Um, do you have any idea how I do it?"

Hmm... you usually just lay your hands on them, or place your hands where it hurt, or bled...

"Ah, thanks"

Don't over think, since that's what you usually tend to do. Just get a feel for it...

Healing comes naturally to you, since it's in your nature to be caring of other people. You're like our mom most of the time

Magic is shaped by its wielder, remember that. Just focus on your intent and everything should flow easily 

"Thanks for the tip, Jun. Okay then, here it goes..." Sho placed his hand over Yuki's forehead...

Deep breaths, Sho, don't think, just feel...

Sho found a quiet place in his mind as he focused his energies on healing Yuki. He felt the familiar tug of magic as it drew him into its dance; starting out with small, sure steps and building up the tempo as he gradually got reacquainted with its rhythm and learned to follow where it led. With his eyes closed, he saw the world in colors. Sho was able tell where the others were, and to a certain extent, how they felt just by tracing their auras; in front of him, sat Yuki, whose core emitted a red-orange glow, like the dying embers of a bonfire that seemed to flicker and fade. On either side of Yuki, Sho could sense the doll's energies; Aiba's dominant hue was a pleasant and refreshing yellow, that was nearly white in it's brightness, while subdued, deep purples and violets were prominent in Jun's. Across from them, he could see Ohno's sky blue almost mingling with Nino's bright yellow, and behind him, Mari and his mother were wrapped in calming blues and lavenders as they sat and watched patiently while Sho attempted to heal Yuki. 

An odd thing that Sho noticed about the dolls, however, was that their energies looked as though it was contained by a protective white barrier, which seemed to be restricting their movements. Also, unlike their moving companions, their auras remained static and barely moved, not like the others around them whose colors constantly shifted and flickered depending on their thoughts and their physical state. 

It's almost as if they're in a coma... Sho thought. Right now though, he needed to focus on Yuki.

Guided by his instincts, Sho held an outstretched hand and concentrated on pulling the life force, which flowed freely around him, towards his body. He filled himself up with it till it overflowed and leaked from his hands. He then gathered this light towards the other hand that lay on Yuki's forehead and focused on gradually shifting this energy to Yuki. Little by little, Yuki's faltering orange turned into a rich, deep red, almost alive in its intensity, like the blood that flowed in his veins. Once Yuki's health was fully restored, Sho removed his hands from her forehead and opened his eyes.

"Your hands really are magical. I missed this so much." Yuki smiled. Her pallid complexion was replaced by a healthy pink flush and the dark circles under her were eyes practically invisible. Yuki stood up and embraced Sho tightly. "Thank you, Sho. Even the pills that Nino gave me have nothing on those hands of yours."

"Y-you're welcome." Sho, caught off guard by Yuki's sudden display of affection, awkwardly returned the embrace.

"How was it? How did it feel when you healed her?" Mari asked, wide eyed and curious.

"I can't really put it into words..." Sho pondered this for a while, "it's like riding a bike... like something I could never really forget."

"Ah... well, now that you remember how to heal, can you remember any of us now?" Nino smiled 

"No, not really. Sorry..."

"Well, that's no big deal now" said Yuki, "If you're willing, I could try to restore your memories"

"No, you're not. Are you crazy? You scared me to death when you collapsed the first time!" Nino protested, "besides, you said that the staff was out of magic too, how do you plan to restore Sho's memories without that, and we have to go there again too!"

"Aww... you care! How sweet!" Yuki snickered, "Actually, we don't even need the staff and we don't need to go to that room either. Sho will be much easier, since the memories are already there. It's just his mind resisting things. Don't worry too much."

"Oh. Why didn't you say so?"

"I was about to, until you freaked out." 

"Of course, did you know how heavy you were?! I had to drag you all the way here, and it's a long way from that silly room!"

"What did you say, you little brat?!"

And there they go again...

This feels like the old times already

"Do they always fight like this?"

Yes. All the time...

"Oi, you're supposed to be on my side!"

Anyway, how is she supposed to help Sho?

"Yeah, how?"

"Huh? How what?"

"I keep forgetting you can't hear them. Jun asks how you plan to help Sho."

"Well, I might need his help for that. I can still probe minds, since his memories seem to be resurfacing, it's going to be quite easy to dig them up and he doesn't seem to resist remembering them as much as you did. Jun could help Sho emotionally, maybe help him stop resisting, or make him feel more at ease while I unravel whatever it is that's blocking it from coming out."

"But how? Jun only has limited access to his abilities in his state."

"How limited?"

I can still use them, but I need to be touching the person directly

"He says he needs to be touching the person. I guess Sho could hold him or something while you do your thing."

"Great! Let's start, then..."


	24. Coming Full Circle

Under Yuki's instructions, Sho sat beside Jun and held his hand, unable to hide the sharp intake of breath as he felt the smooth, pliant skin yield beneath the gentle pressure of his calloused fingers. Sho was shocked. Had he touched any of the any of them before this, there was no way he'd mistake them for mannequins. Jun's skin wasn't the cold, hard plastic he'd expected it to be, and while it wasn't as warm as a stove top, Jun's skin didn't have the cold, lifeless feel of a corpse's. Jun's hand felt like the hand of somebody who was, well, pretty much alive. Sho sat, lost in thought as he unconsciously laced his fingers with Jun's and squeezed the fleshy palm while his other hand flexed and stretched each slender digit experimentally as though he had found a new toy. Unable to curb his curiosity, he pressed his fingers to Jun's wrist, searching for a pulse...

Oi. Don't get any ideas... This is kind of embarrassing.

"Ah, s-sorry." Sho replied, breaking out of his trance, his head snapping to look Jun's still form, “just... I didn't know..." Sho moved his fingers from Jun's wrist up to his neck, just below his jaw, near his ears, “You don't have a pulse."

Nino did say that the potion mimicked death... I guess you did a good job? 

"But you're not dead."

I hope so, or all this would have been for nothing...

Yuki raised a curious brow as she sat in front of the two and formed a small circle by holding Sho's hand in hers and Jun's in the other. She gave Sho's hand a reassuring squeeze, looking the slightly nervous monk in the eye.

"Are you ready for this?"

"Sure, sure." Sho nodded, "I was just shocked. His skin... I just thought it'd feel like plastic somehow..." Sho managed a shy smile and scratched his head 

So many surprises today...

You'll be okay. Don't worry

Yuki turned her head towards Mari and the others who watched the three in quiet fascination.

“I normally do a full ritual, but this is kind of urgent so I'll have to improvise. Would it be okay if I asked you to keep quiet and not disturb us until it's over? It's not going to take long."

"Are they going to be okay?" Sho's mother asked

"They will be, Mrs. Sakurai" Yuki reassured her, "I'll bet my life on it."

"Well," Nino replied "How about if I just gave them a little tour? We can hang out at the cafe and just return after an hour or so, or you can just pick us up when you're done"

"Thanks Nino."

"Don't worry about me. Go enjoy yourselves, they have really good coffee!" Sho reassured his mother.

Nino stood up and carried Ohno in his arms, while Mari, who was all too happy to hold Aiba, dragged the much taller doll on her way out, followed by Sho's mother who seemed torn between leaving her son and getting out of the shop. 

"You're kinda heavy." Mari said, adjusting her hold on Aiba, wrapping her frail arms around his waist, "But you smell really nice... “

Mari, your hands! They're not supposed to be there! Aiba whimpered.

Ohno and Nino snickered as they stepped out of the shop, with Sho's mother closing the door behind her.

 

"Well, let's get down to business, shall we?" Yuki took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Let's cast a circle. Jun already knows how. I need you to picture a white light surrounding us. Make it strong. Make it impenetrable"

"How?"

"Relax, open your mind. I need you to believe and to put your trust in me and in Jun. Now, close your eyes..."

Sho stilled his thoughts, picturing a veil of white surround them. With his eyes closed, he saw the shift of colors as each member focused their own energies in strengthening the protective wall, feeling it encircle them until every inch of their small space was covered in a soft white light. After a few moments, Sho felt Jun's presence gently slipping into his mind and lending him a feeling of warmth and safety.

There. You don't seem so scared now... Sho could sense the small smile in Jun's voice

I... I don't know. Maybe it's because of this circle, or maybe it's because you're making me feel safe... Sho answered through his thoughts, feeling Yuki's presence enter his consciousness...

Well, this is good. Your use of magic seems intuitive. Things should go smoothly... But, here comes the tricky part. Sho sensed the hesitation in Yuki's voice; I want you to think about your nightmare. I know that it's scary and it holds some terrible memories, but I know what you've been through. I saw it through Nino's mind...If that's what's blocking your memories, we need to fight it until you see all of it.

Sho felt Jun's sudden reluctance as his thoughts shifted; will I also get to see it this time? Will I get to find out why they chose to stay behind?

Yes, Jun. Yuki replied, I need both of you to be strong. Give Sho some reassurance; remind him that you're there with him. Make him feel safe when he starts to feel scared... I'll also be here to hold you down and help you

I'll do my best...

Sho took a few moments to prepare himself and started thinking about his recurring nightmare. Jun felt the terror and the despair as he saw Sho and Nino drag themselves away from the palace; away from safety, and into the chaos that waited for them outside the palace gates. He felt Sho's grief and his helplessness as he saw people around him die and kill each other. He held Sho down a few times; crying with him as he told him to stay until the memory played itself out, until finally, Sho suffocated on the thick smog while he was watching Nino's final glamour. With the worst part over, Sho's recollections unraveled and flowed smoothly, playing out in a series of flashbacks, taking off from his death, rewinding itself back to his earliest memories as a child growing up in a monastery with a group of monks. 

However, as Sho was recovering his memories, an unnamed entity interfered. All of a sudden, Sho's presence was cut off, and Jun and Yuki felt as though they had wandered into unknown territory where there was nothing but white noise. Sho was lost and there was nothing of the man that floated out to them; no impressions, no emotions, no thoughts. All that they could see was a bleak grayish static that distorted each sound and a thick mist that obscured everything.

Sho? Yuki? What is this? Where are you? Jun was beginning to panic, sensing an unfamiliar presence amongst them.

I'm here Jun, but I don't know where Sho is. I think we lost him. Yuki replied, anxiously trying to probe deeper into Sho's consciousness.  
Sho? Where are you? Come back! 

There's someone else here. There's someone else with us!

Just as soon as it happened the static quickly dispersed. Jun and Yuki felt Sho's presence once more. There was a deep sense of peacefulness emanating from Sho, and it seemed as though he had changed somehow during his brief disappearance. Without knowing how or when, they had been taken out of Sho's mind and were once again inside the circle of light, floating just outside their bodies.

Sho? Is that really you?

Yes... I remember everything now. Thank you.

You seem different, somehow... Yuki observed

Do I? I don't know... maybe remembering a lot of things does that to you... Sho replied, his voice distant

 

What happened? You disappeared for a while. You had us worried!

I can't really explain it, but I know a lot now, maybe even more than I need to... Anyway, now I know how to bring you back. I remember the antidote! Sho switched subjects before any of them had the chance to reply.

So, I guess this means we can go back now? 

Yes. I guess so

... Will you ever tell us what you found out when you disappeared?

Sho remained silent and instead, slowly broke the circle. He opened his eyes, his vision readjusting to the bright lights inside the lounge. Yuki opened her eyes and turned a long and thoughtful glance at Sho.

"I trust you, Sho. I'm sure that whatever you found out was only meant for you, so I will not question it."

"Thank you." Sho smiled

Yuki nodded "What's important, is that we get them moving and alive." Yuki then turned to Jun, carding her fingers through the silky locks and placing Jun's hands back on his lap.

"Well, I wonder how we'll be when you can finally speak..." Yuki's cheeks took on a pinkish hue as she smiled at Jun whose eyes stared blankly ahead.

Had Jun been able to move, he would've broken into a goofy grin that reached his ears.

Oh god! Yuki thought all of a sudden, It was so convenient to cuddle him like a cute little puppy before, but when he finally... Oh crap! Yuki blushed harder, looking away from Sho and Jun as she sought a few seconds to regain her composure.

I don't know what or who was there with us a while ago, but I'm glad you're safe.

"Thank you, Jun. I'm sorry that I couldn't tell you more right now, but maybe I will when the time is right." Sho smiled, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow. 

"Well, look at the time! It's nearly 5 PM and I'm hungry. Let's join them there." Yuki stood up abruptly, stretching her limbs and looking slightly embarrassed, "Sho, if you don't mind, could you um, carry Jun for me?"

***

Sho entered the cafe carrying Jun, walking behind Yuki who seemed to be in a bit of a hurry to join the others. From outside, they could hear Mari's amused giggling and Mrs. Sakurai's exclamations of awe...

"...Oh! Do that one again!"

"A good magician never does the same trick twice" Nino winked, shuffling the deck of cards and placing them on the small coffee table as he took a sip of his coffee.

"Are you sure you didn't cheat?" Mari asked, grabbing the deck of cards on the table and scrutinizing each one.

"How could I cheat on that?"

"For all I know, you used some of your magic thing on that too!"

Right, right! Your hands couldn't possibly be that fast!

"I know I'm brilliant and all," Nino smirked, "but I need a couple of minutes at the most to do an illusion, I can't do that with the cards, and I'm just re-learning the whole magic stuff. I learned these card tricks months ago..."

"I see you're having fun without us!" Yuki chirped as she approached the group, plopped down beside Mari who scooted over to give her some space. Ohno and Aiba sat beside each other in a small couch across from Mari and Sho's mother who were busy being entertained by Nino. Saucers of half-eaten crepes and mugs of unfinished coffee littered the small table where Nino placed his cards, and a single slice of blueberry cheesecake sat untouched in one corner with a clean and empty mug beside it. 

"Oh! You're finally here. So, how did it go?" Nino asked, looking at Sho who placed Jun between Ohno and Aiba in the small couch and pulled himself a chair. Nino also noticed the change in Sho, and it seemed as though he had grown older during the two hours he was away.

"Well, I remember everything now." Sho replied, smiling at Nino who was unable to mask the curiosity written on his face.

"That's great...did something happen?” Nino asked, "you don't look any different, but you seem... changed, somehow."

Sho gave a slightly exhausted grin, wondering how, or if he should tell them of what he discovered. "I remembered a lot of things... I don't really know how to tell you yet. Maybe one day, when I'm ready... In the meantime, you and I have a lot of work to do..."

"Well, do you finally remember Aiba? Nino says you two were quite close before." Mari asked, looking oddly at Sho and handing him a cup of coffee.

Sho nodded, unable to contain the smile that tugged at the corner of his lips. "Yes, I do" Sho almost reached out and kissed the doll, but ended up stroking Aiba's hair instead, all too aware of his mother's presence.

"Aww...come on, hug him!" Mari teased, "I bet he's happy that his boyfriend remembers him now!"

After a few more jibes from Nino, Yuki, and his own mother, Sho relented, blushing furiously as placed Aiba on his lap and buried his nose in Aiba's sleek hair, inhaling his scent as he hugged the doll closer to his body.

Aww... You missed me! Aiba joked. Anyway, welcome back!

"Thank you, Aiba" Sho uttered a muffled reply into Aiba's shoulders, unable to stop the overwhelming flow of emotions as he finally broke down in tears. "We'll finally be getting you back. I'm sorry that all of you had to suffer so much..."

Sho...

"Are you okay?" Sho's mother asked 

"Yes I'm, okay mom." Sho replied, looking at his mother fondly through his tear-stained eyes, 

...and I'm glad to finally be with you, in this life.

"Are we taking Aiba home tonight? I'm sure we could find an extra room for him... unless of course you'd like to stay in the same room, or we could always..." 

"No, not yet. At least not until Nino and I break the spell. I'm sure he could wait a few more days..."

"So, what do you mean we have a lot of work to do? Have you figured out how to make the antidote?" Nino asked, handing Sho a glass of water, as Yuki began eating her blueberry cheesecake.

"If things go as planned, we should have it ready by the end of the week at the earliest, or at least within two weeks, if not."

"We'll have to look for the equivalent of the ingredients here, right?"

"Yes, and that's where your library would come in handy. I'll do some research in the internet...hopefully what we need can be found in the groceries here."

"Right. Glad to know we have the same plan..."

***  
There were three more days left until Sho and Nino got the antidote ready... 

The past week saw Sho and Nino burning the midnight oil in one of the shop's spare rooms amid piles of books and the steady whirring of Sho's laptop, nearly overheated from all its hours of use. Both boys were engaged in heavy research; comparing notes and trading information, with Yuki and the dolls keeping them company, as they jotted down each minute detail, from the equivalent of each plant and herb down to the most auspicious of colors, days and times to cast a spell. Everything had to be perfect. They couldn't take chances, lest they risk killing their loved ones...

 

Three more days until Ohno, Jun and Aiba were able to move again; to breathe and live freely as human beings...

In each of their corners the dolls sat, motionless as always, looking at the world through their glassy eyes and wearing the same featureless expressions on their faces. Inside, each of them was restlessly absorbed in their own thoughts, half in anticipation and half in fear of what waited for them in this unfamiliar world, once they broke free of the spell.

"What are you guys thinking?" Ohno spoke up, breaking the tense silence that filled the room

"Well... I'm excited, but I'm also scared." Aiba confessed, "It would be so nice to be able to move again, and to eat, and to explore..."

"But?"

"But I don't know this world. I see plenty of familiar faces pass by the window everyday... I've even seen my sister once, wearing a schoolgirl uniform and passing by the shop... and she doesn't know me, she didn't even look at me....It kind of hurts a little... What about you two? How do you feel?"

"I feel the same... There's so much I don't know. The television could only offer so much. We've only seen the world through our little display window... I'm afraid of being lost and being helpless... but... there's a lot of new things to learn, and explore. I'm excited somehow, and I... there's Yuki..."

"Aha! Yes, there is Yuki!" Aiba managed a nervous giggle "Finally, after a long time!... You know, I always believed that they would come for us, but now that they're here and things are happening things seem to be exciting and scary at the same time."

What about you, Ohno?

I'm scared of not knowing anything, or how to find my way around this world... but I would like to explore it. I want to see all of it, and I'd like to be with Nino when I do... I think it will be fun too, but I think it will also be painful because none of the people that we once knew would even recognize us... It's sad and scary and exciting all at the same time...

But it's better than living as mannequins, right?

Definitely.

 

***

Two days to go, and the tension within the small shop was rising. It was the first night of the full moon and Yuki was doing her part in the preparations; laying out her staff on a small patch of dirt in their small garden and letting it bathe in the full moon's light, the staff absorbing its energy until every ounce of magic that was lost had been replaced. Once her tool had been recharged, Yuki went inside the sanctuary and cleared out a space where the ritual would take place, cleansing the area so that it was free of negative energies and so that the ritual would go smoothly. Sho and Nino, in the meantime were busy in the kitchen, preparing the ingredients for the antidote and reading through the book that Yuki had given Nino, the dancing glyphs no longer posing a problem to Nino who was able to decipher them easily...

"Sho, honestly, you cut your finger with a peeler?" Nino handed Sho a paper towel to absorb the blood, "Good thing you heal easily, huh?"

"Cooking was never exactly one of my specialties." Sho replied, annoyed, grabbing the towel from Nino's hand and wiping the blood away to reveal unmarred skin.

"You were quite good at cooking back then, how come you're so clumsy now?" Nino snickered

"Shut up and keep chopping."

"I've been doing all the chopping, and slicing, and dicing in case you didn't notice." Nino teased, " Why don't you go and see if the leaves are cooked? It's already been 10 minutes"

"Okay... Ow!"

"Potholder..."

"...Sho?"

"Huh?"

"... I was just wondering... what do you think would happen when they could finally move?" Nino replied in a quiet voice, his nimble fingers slicing through the stalks of the lilies. "I'm even wondering if we could really make this work..."

"... I guess we won't know until we try."

"I'm grateful, and more than happy to be with Ohno again, but... " Nino hesitated, "How did you feel when you finally remembered everything? Right after? Encountering all those familiar faces and almost calling out their names, but knowing that they don't know you."

"It was confusing and I felt depressed... It's like a big reminder telling me that I don't really belong here... and yet, here I am."

"Yes...Here we are...Somehow, this feels like some sort of atonement."

"In a way, I guess it is... At least we can find our way around. Imagine how it would be for them. They don't have Yuki's gift of absorbing knowledge and experience. Everything will be new and probably scary to them... But that's why we're here..."

Nino smiled. "You know, you're good for something even though you're such a klutz"

"Hey!" Sho smiled as he removed the pot from the stove and placed it on the table.

"Okay, we wait for it to cool a little, then we add these."

"Finally."

****

The day before the ritual, everything took on a serious and solemn tone inside Yuki's shop. 'Smitten' and Marguerite's cafe had been closed for the day while final preparations were underway for the event that was to take place at midnight. Inside the sanctuary, Yuki had set out to draw intricate glyphs and circles all over the floor. Sho and Nino, in the meantime, were busy double-checking everything, making sure that things went perfectly for tonight's ritual. Everything proceeded like clockwork in the little shop, and everyone was on their toes. The air was thick with nervous energy and excitement; the tension increasing with every hour as the day drew closer to an end.

As the clock struck 12, the dolls were brought inside the altar room of the dimensional sanctuary. Yuki, Nino, Sho and the three dolls sat inside the circles that Yuki had drawn on the floor. Nino and Sho chanted the incantations and activated the wards, the protective glyphs glowing blue and purple all over the floor as the seal was completed. With the first step over, Nino recited the words which would break the protective barrier containing the doll's aura, Sho then brought out an enchanted blade and sliced through the thick shield, leaving Ohno, Jun, and Aiba vulnerable to attack in their frozen and defenseless state. With the same blade, Sho and Nino made small incisions on each of their forefingers to let their blood flow into the vials of potion they had prepared earlier. The potion bubbled over, glowing and changing colors several times before it stabilized and settled to a rich, deep red. Nino took the blade and approached Ohno, taking his hand and cutting deeply into his palm. No blood flowed from the wound that Nino made, but unlike Sho, Ohno's skin didn't heal itself. 

Nino took the potion and poured it into the open wound, one drop at a time, until the vial was completely empty. After a few minutes, blood began leaking out of Ohno's hands. For the first time in what seemed like ages, Ohno's eyes blinked and his mouth moved.

"Ni--Nino.." Ohno managed a strained whisper before he collapsed into Nino's arms...

***

Aiba could remember the intense pain that took over as he started to move. It felt as though his whole body was a waking limb and every inch of his skin was covered in pins and needles. He could remember heaving huge amounts of air into his lungs as he started breathing once more, unable to form a coherent word, or sentence while his eyes filled with tears and the world spun around him. The last thing that he could recall was Sho's tear-filled eyes as his body fell into Sho's warm embrace. 

"Are you sure they're going to be okay?" Nino sniffled, cradling Ohno in a possessive embrace, combing his stocky fingers through his hair, while Jun lay peacefully on Yuki's lap, taking deep and even breaths.

"Yes..." Sho exhaled, feeling drained as he healed Aiba's palm and tried to ease the pain, telling Aiba's body not to panic as he lulled him into a deep and restful sleep. Sho placed a chaste kiss on Aiba's forehead, the latter smiling sweetly in his sleep.

"Well, we finally did it." Sho yawned, rubbing his eyes.

"Yes. Finally..." Nino replied, equally exhausted. "Why did they collapse like that?"

"Their bodies must be tired from the strain of not moving for such a long time," Sho replied, "it might take a few days for them to recover completely but I'm quite sure they're safe now."

"Are you okay, Sho?" Yuki asked, noting how pale the young man looked.

"Just exhausted, I did use up a lot of energy for this."

"Well, one last thing to do then." Yuki broke the circle, ending the enchantment and enabling them to pass through the wards unharmed. "Do you think you could manage to carry them as far as their rooms? I could help you, of course."

"I think I could. I don't know about Sho, he seems really tired."

"That's okay, we could help him with Aiba"

"Thank you," said Sho, stifling another yawn

"Well, it's three in the morning." I'll have Marguerite prepare you a drink. Would you like some milk? It'll help you sleep."

"Yes, thank you."

"You can sleep with Aiba in the same bed" Yuki giggled

"E-eeh" Sho stammered

"Actually, there's only one bed in that room so you have no choice." Yuki replied "But you're probably too tired to do anything naughty anyway so you'll both just end up cuddling, I suppose."

"What?!... Well, what about you and Jun? He'll be really happy when he wakes up next to you." Sho teased.

"Oh shut up, you clumsy journalist!" Yuki blushed as she dragged a sleepy Jun out of the door.

***

Oh, look at him, he looks like such a baby when he sleeps!

Maybe we should put a bonnet on him, and a pacifier too! Baby Ohno!

He really does sleep like a log, doesn't he?

No problem sleeping at all. Some things never change, huh?

Sssh! Quiet, I'm going to take a picture!

 

Ohno's nose twitched, his face wrinkling slightly as he idly drifted into consciousness. Ohno opened his bleary eyes, stretching his limbs, his mouth opening wide to let out a big yawn. As his eyes focused, he found several faces staring down at him, all of them, apparently just waiting for him to wake up. 

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty!" Nino greeted him with a smile, camera on hand, the lens focused on Ohno's face.

"I heard you..." Ohno replied sleepily.

"Well, you took such a long time to wake up, it's nearly lunch time!" Aiba climbed on to the bed and started jumping.

"It is?" Ohno sat up, rubbing his eyes

"Yes, and we're hungry." Sho joined Aiba and started jumping up and down.

"That looks like fun." Jun smiled, joining the two on Ohno's bed and started jumping too.

"Oi, oi, must you always wake me up like this?" Ohno retorted grumpily

"You're already awake so it doesn't count!" said Aiba

"Okay, okay, getting up already!"

 

Nino took Ohno's hand and pulled him out of the bed.

"Morning, Nino." Ohno smiled.

Nino pulled Ohno into a warm hug, placing a soft kiss on his cheek.

"How long have we been asleep?" Ohno asked, returning the hug.

"Almost three days, to be exact. Jun was the first one to get up, then Aiba followed. Sho visited constantly to check on you and make sure that all of you were okay."

"Ah... Nino?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

After a few moments, Yuki poked her head in to see if Ohno had woken up... and was quite surprised find five grown men jumping on the bed.

"Uh... Lunch is served, kiddies!" Yuki spoke, an amused smile crossing her lips.

"Oh food!" Ohno and Aiba exclaimed, getting down from the bed and rushing outside the door. Sho and Nino quickly followed the two, racing to the dining doom, leaving Jun and Yuki behind.

"So...um..." Yuki blushed

"Uh... yes... um, let's eat" Jun got down from the bed and tentatively approached Yuki, blushing furiously as he shyly reached out to hold her hand. The two slowly walked out to join the others at the dining room where they were joined by Mari and Sho's mother for a great feast.

"About time!" Nino piped up, "I thought you two were never going to make it!"

"Yes, and Aiba was about to eat your share!" Sho teased the awkward couple

"Oh, come on. They needed their alone time!" Ohno joined in.

"Oh shut up, all of you!" Yuki retorted, her cheeks still red and a wide smile all over her face. Jun, in return, just smiled as he took his place beside Aiba, while Yuki sat next to Nino. 

It had been a long journey and all of them were finally, safely reunited. The gates of time and space had been closed, and Yuki had vowed never to use the key again, determined to live out their days in their new home. Ohno had moved in with Nino, who now had a much better apartment, thanks to the generous raise that Yuki gave him, while Aiba had moved in with Sho and was finally introduced to the rest of the family as Sho's fiancée (his dad, of course, was happy that his son had finally found his 'princess' and that his younger brother would stop bringing strange men to their house to fix up with Sho.) Jun remained with Yuki and was learning fashion photography, occasionally helping Marguerite out in the kitchen and creating new dishes to add to the menu of their rapidly expanding cafe. Ohno sculpted new mannequins for the display window and Mari had finally signed a deal with Yuki and had her creations consigned to Yuki's shop. In the meantime, Nino had one last semester left before he graduated, while Sho had switched jobs and was now working for a travel magazine which allowed him to take trips around the world with Aiba when the latter wasn't busy tending to wounded animals as a veterinarian.

Ohno, Jun, and Aiba had much to learn and explore in their strange new world, but they were happy to be finally with the ones they loved most, and quite confident that they could overcome any obstacles as long as they stuck together.


End file.
